Sunday - December 18th, 2022 - Peace

Good morning, everyone. Welcome and we have a special treat Children's Program going on this morning. So a couple of announcements first this Saturday 7 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight service, so I'll be sure to join us Worship. The Lord and on Sunday is going to be a big day for us Christmas service on Christmas day. You don't get a chance to do that very often and there is something else you can look forward to is that we will be having one service 10. So The 8:30 people will be here also, so you will have to make room for them. And we will be asking you to move in. In you up, you also will be sitting next to people. You don't recognize You you'll probably say to someone sitting beside you, oh, I haven't met you before. Are you new to the church? That will say, no, I've been coming for 20 years. And you will say so live, or, however, long you been coming. So it's going to be a great day. Next Sunday, worshiping the Lord on his Damon. All we want you to save a date January 8th and we look back on this past year of turkey, Willie how we, as a church have been reaching out to the community, and I think that's our mission, amen. Reaching out to the surrounding communities and sharing Christ with them. So we want to come together and create more ways that we, as a church can do, this can reach out in 2023. So I'll save the date. January 8th Hospitality meeting the theme is going to be community events so we'll be brainstorming coming up with ideas things that we can do and listing workers and helpers in doing things that that are benefit the community here at our church.

Ron Machiavelli has a table in the lobby for self-defense in martial, arts free for you and January. 1st. Is the deadline to sign up for that. So stop by and talk to Ron afterwards. And we have an announcement from Judy and Christine.

You're right there. You are. All right, I'm looking.

Good morning, for those of you who don't know who I am, I'm Judy Brown now and I have the privilege Chris and I both have the Privileges morning. As you know, we have many many wonderful women in our church and today we would like to do a presentation to one in particular Lori mccaskill if you would please come up

We are so grateful for Lori, her genuine care, love, kind support. I'm sure many of you as well as Chris and I have been a benefactor of dad, and we just wanted to wish you a very merry Christmas and we would like to present these gifts from the ladies of the church. And we want to wish you a very merry Christmas. And we are so grateful to have you. We are so blessed. Thank you. Thank you. You are very welcome.

Thank you. One last announcement, before we get started, when the children's play Nativity Play is done. The classes downstairs. Can also be dismissed teachers are you listening to your class will be going downstairs after the children's Nativity? After they exit, okay?

Sprite. Father, we do, thank you for this great place to worship. And we just ask your blessing on the events of this morning and the preaching of your word and may we share Jesus everyday. We ask these things in Christ name, amen.

So, during the Nativity Play, there's going to be some songs, lyrics will be up on the wall. Please, sing with us, feel free to stay seated, but we would love to hear your voice is as we say, thank you.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth, and he created, man and woman and set them in the Garden of Eden. God told man to have dominion over every living creature. And he gave them every fruit of the trees to eat, except for one tree, the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. But the man and his wife disobeyed God, they chose to listen to the voice of the serpent and ate from The Forbidden, the one for Ben entry. Their sin cos a rift between them and God. God in his Mercy, gave them a promise, one day, a savior will come to crush The Serpent and save Mankind from lesson that separated them from God years passed and Earth began to fill with sons and daughters grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the first, man and woman. Some people chose to seek God and his ways others rebelled further God's threw a rock through His prophets, calling the people to walk in righteousness and reminding them of his promise to to Sunday Redeemer for many years. The people of God waited for the Redeemer to come in for feel God's promise.

God told through His prophets that Jesus would be born of a virgin. The Lord himself will give you a sign. The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him in an you out, Isaiah 7:14. God sent an angel to marry a virgin pledged to marry a man named Joseph. And angel said to her, don't do not be afraid. Mary for you. I found favor with God and behold. You will conceive in your room and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. When Mary was found to be with child before their wedding, Joseph decided to divorce her quietly, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream sang, do not fear to take Mary as your wife for which, for that, which is conceived in her, is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear Son and you shall call his name Jesus for. He will save his people from their sins. So Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him to do his prophets, that Jesus would be from the line of David. The Lord's for a oath to David a promise. He will not abandon it. Send one of your Descendants on your throne. Psalm 132 11 in those days. Caesar Augustus, the create that all the world should be registered and all went to be registered in his own town, Joseph. And Mary went up to Judah, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because Joseph was Was of the house and liege of David while they were there. The time came for married gave give birth and she gave birth to your first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and lay him in a major because there was no place for them in the end. God told through His prophets, that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem but only a small village, a ruler of Israel, whose Origins are in the distant past will come for you on my behalf. Micah 5:2.

And they do and there they were in the same country shepherds in the field. Keeping watch over their flocks by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them fear. Not for behold, I bring you good news of great joy. Which shall be for all people for unto. You is Born This Day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the lord and this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a major And suddenly, there was an angel. With the angel, a multitude of heavenly host, praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth and Goodwill to men.

And they went with a haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a major. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about the child and all who heard it wondered at what the Shepherds told them. This is a story of Christmas that God in his mercy and through his perfect, son made a way to remove the roof that's in class between him and man. This is the good news. The Glad Tidings of great joy, which are for all people until you is born a savior. Who is Christ the lord for to us? A child, is born to us. A son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders. And his name Shall be Called wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6.

A good morning. Did you enjoy the little children this morning? Did you enjoy the old people this morning?

What a time to. Celebrate every year. The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we gather together in Worship together.

Jay's, I need you to come up here with me this morning. You're going to light a candle. I'm looking, I forget to get these kids to come. They all went downstairs to see what I look back there. And there's Jay. So Jace can come up here and help me wipe. The pee Scandal this morning. Are you good with fire Jace? Mom and dad, you know how to light that thing? We're going to lay them all in the moment, but I just need to make sure, you know, how to pull the trigger on that. Can you show me? My buddy, Jase. This morning, we have the peace scandal. Bible says peace, I leave with you, my peace, I give to you will repeat that again in a minute and I'll sermon but the peace of God that he gives to us. It's more than the Peace of the world. It's a Oneness with God, that he's talking about knots piece from the world of war, that's always going to be there. There's going to be trial and tribulation he tells us, right? So we have to deal with that. But how do we deal with that without God With God, that one, that's a God gives us at Union together with him from. Give this true, peace. All today, as we light our joy or hope our love and our piece candle. We're going to talk about pee so it's Jason light off for candles.

Good job. Thank you. It's pray. Father, we thank you, we. Thank you that we can have the Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank you. That you give us your piece. It's a gift that is there for us to take for us to use as we meet others around us. I thank you for the children of our church. I think you for the older generations of our church as we can sing and celebrate the Christmas season. Go before us help the Peace Center, the hearts and lives of each and every one in Jesus name, we pray, amen. Thanks J. This morning, if you have your Bible turn with me. If you will, the second Thessalonians, 3:16 2nd Thessalonians 3:16. We're going to talk about that piece. And as I said, this piece that we look at that as we look at these words, peace in the Greek. It means to join or to set at 1 against a union with God, they have the true pieces, is not as I said, it's not an absence of war. In this world will have tribulations. There's going to be warm. There's going to be trial and tribulation. Those things are going to happen, in fact, this morning cuz I woke up to get ready for church and I just happened to look at my phone and they're on my phone was a 8 X or the video from the church in Ukraine, as they were 57 minutes into their service and had shared the video of them gathering together in a war-torn country. Worshipping celebrating Christ, the King. If we were there, or if that was happening here on our country, in our country, where would we be? Would we be too busy doing other things? Would we be busy out? Doing what we desire to do, as opposed to gathering together to worship? I think we all know that the real true thing that we need in our lives when heartache and hardships, is Jesus. Amen. Because he is the true peace. He is a true hope and it's a cat. That's only 3:16 Says this mate. Now may the Lord of Peace himself. Give you peace. Always in every way. The Lord be with you all. Read that again with me, may the Lord of Peace himself, be with you give you peace, always in every way.

And John 14:27 Jesus girls is that you've heard me mention this over and over again because I think it's important. He goes through in the first part of John, he's talking about his own death and John chapter 14. I'm going to go away, I go to prepare a mansion for you but I I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also Thomas is Lord, we don't know where you're going, how could we know the way in Jesus as the Thomas as he says, the you and me. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one, no man. No woman comes to the father except through Jesus Christ, butt down. And verse. 27 is where he says my peace peace. I leave with you. My peace. I give to you not as the world gives us. Not the Peace of the world, not as the world gives give. I unto you, let not your heart be troubled. Neither Let It Be Afraid. But he's talking about his peace, my peace, I give to you, he's at peace. I leave my peace. I give to you. I think about that this morning, that give the peace that Jesus gives to each and everyone who will receive it. Bank with me this morning if you will go back to that moment and time in your life that that Christmas time and when she received that one gift that you were always really looking for that one. Get that you really desired maybe as a child or maybe as an adult, or whatever it is, that one gift that you? You were hoping would come at Christmas time. And if you had that one, give men, everything would be right in the world right now. For some it might have been from that movie. Write a BB gun. Right. Never know, whatever. Whatever it may be. That one doll that you desire or maybe. Maybe you got a little more spiritual and just wanted peace in the world. That's not a bad thing either. But peace is not going to happen that way. The peace that God is talking about me. And the reason I say that is because in this world where there's two or more people, there's going to be trouble a man. We don't always agree and when we don't always agree then peace is not always there but that's not what God is talking about. God is talking about his peace, the Peace of a savior, the Peace of Christ child born in the major, going to that cross and some 32 years to lay down his life for the world that whosoever believes in Him. Should not perish but have everlasting life. And we all desire to have everlasting life. We all want to live forever and then we get very spiritual. I just know I'm done. Lord, want to just come back now and take me out of this mess. I'm done with it. Or are we ready to meet? The Lord is not sharing this this morning. We always say. We're ready to meet the Lord than if we were so ready to meet the Lord. Then why do we go to the doctors and get our health taken care of? Or I have open heart surgery. When they were told, we need to have it. Why? If we're prepared to meet God because we want to live Am I right? We don't do that not to live we want to live when we continue on in Jesus's listen he's what I want for you to send just a piece of this world. Peace, I leave with you. My peace. I give to you. Not some piece of the world. A piece of the world is messed up. But the peace of God, surpasses all understanding. And this is what we're talkin about this. That's the piece that were talking about this morning, that's the candle that we, we let this morning the candle of Peace. The candle of Oneness in a relationship with our Lord and our Savior. Jesus Christ, starting with that little baby born in a manger so that we could have eyes on him. He could go through the trials and tribulations of this world and understand heartache and hardship.

In Christ life. You ready for this in Christ? Like there wasn't a whole lot of peace from the very beginning of his life. People were seeking to put him to death. What he had a Oneness with the father, he had something that would continue him to go, even in that moment and God gives him anywhere. So, Lord, father God because I will let this cup pass from me. If there's a better way for this world to be saved, let that happen. But not my will die and be done a Oneness with God, the Father, A peace that passes all understanding. Imagine that you can receive this. Heavenly peace in your heart. A piece and always remains. No matter the situation, it's a piece of sir. Yes, heartache and hardship, trials and tribulations. There's many in our church going through some difficult times. He didn't say, we're going to be immune from those in this world. There will be want tribulation. But it should be of good cheer. Or may I have some peace in your life because I have overcome the world.

Have you ever stubbed your toe? Chris Brown if you ever stub your toe, If your times yes, what did you say? When nevermind

It's a AAA Ting time. Is it not? Describe your toe and hurts. It hurts the whole body and wants pain in the heel pain, they're still paying the residual. Pain is still there. But what we know is will get through this. What we know is will get beyond that pain is going to be gone someday and maybe it'll take a week maybe two I don't know if you didn't break that little thing. There's no sense going to the doctor. If you break your little pinky just tape it to the toe next to you. That's all they're going to do in charge you a hundred fifty bucks. You can send me fifty bucks for the information. Will be good. Don't follow my doctoral medication stuff. Do what your doctors are telling you with wisdom, guidance? Right? Know what's going on. But here's the thing, there's going to be hard times in our lives. But how do we get through those tough times? How do we get through those rough areas? It's this piece of God says, I leave with you. My peace. I give you. It doesn't do us any good. If we don't open that gift of peace, that he gives us.

Remembering your life. What was that one gift that you got that? You couldn't live without. I don't know that there's ever been that moment in my life that I had that. We I grew up in a poor family with didn't have much money, but the one Christmas gift that I remember ever getting, was that plastic tomahawks. And for 30 years, I've talked about that plastic tomahawk College and Career class. One year few years back, bought me a plastic tomahawk. It's hanging in my office above a picture of the lighthouse. That plastic Tomahawk to me as a reminder of a moment in time in my life. Why do I remember that Christmas on the plastic, I don't know, but that's the one I remember. I couldn't tell you any other gift that I got, but I remember that Christmas. That's all. I got was a plastic tomahawk. Hang on a picture of the lighthouse. I got that Lighthouse from a lady. And in Clearwater Kansas, when we were there in the church, two years for two years is associate pastor in the lighthouse. Maybe you've heard it. But I seen that song every now and then and she painted this picture for me this portraits. This painting as a reminder, to me, that Jesus is the lighthouse. There's there's too many Clarisse is no longer with us anymore so the piece of that picture reminded me of her is there but the piece of what that picture in her mind signify that Jesus is the piece, The Guiding Light, the director of Our Lives. When we take that piece, that gift that he gives us watching him is following him. Romans 14:17 tells us that God's kingdom consists of righteousness. Peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. God's kingdom, consists of those things. We need to be in Oneness with him. Following him allowing him to guide. To direct us. Imagine 5:8 and he says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God. That word peacemakers. It means to be in harmonious relationship.

Not the aspect of making War are striving to get out of a harmonious relationship. Again, that weird piece of Oneness. A1 this with God is what he wants us to have a one that's with the father. And then our lives our physical lives. When we see that baby being born when ladies win, when you brought forth that first child that you had and they laid that child in your arms, wasn't there a piece of the all the pain and the suffering that you were gone through? Wasn't there a piece that came across you as you held that baby? And as I always say, what did you do? You begin to count the fingers? Make sure they had five on each hand and count the toes. Make sure there was 5 on these foot like you're supposed to be and I can imagine that you even under wrap that blanket to look and make sure that that baby was what they told you that baby was Bouncing baby boy. Beautiful little girl. Yep. But I guess I can't tell you that anymore cuz we don't know anymore, right? We don't know what it was.

The peace that God has given us. He says, blessed are those who make? Peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. Isaiah 48. Verse 22 says there is no peace, says the Lord For The Wicked. So here we had this chance of the wickedness or righteousness, which do we desire? There is no peace for the wicked. Why? Because they're always looking over their shoulder. Always worried about getting caught. Always worried about somebody else finding out about them. But for us it and I don't see myself as righteous. But God sees me as a righteous through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That little baby, that was born in a manger that 32 years later, some 32 years later, went to that cross lay down his life shed. His what? That whosoever will may come whosoever will May partake of that piece that he is gifted to you. and to me, What is it today? That people would pay, how much would they pay to have true, peace in your heart and there lies? We we try to buy it in a lot of ways. Well, if I can just have a nicer house or a nice cigar and there's nothing wrong with having that stop, okay. But nice cars break down, just like junk cars, right? The difference is a nice car is going to cost you more to fix than then they all everything begins to deteriorate. But our relationship with God, when we put him first, when we trucks, try to head that won this with him. Yes, this Tabernacle this flash lead Temple made breakdown. But that which is within me continues to grow and grow, day by day. Moment-by-moment, so, that plastic Tomahawk or picture that, that I talked about of the lighthouse, in my morning readings that I do every morning, you can see them over my shoulder Those are reminders of me to me of moments and times in my life and they do truly bring back piece. My, my sister's has a picture to the family this past week. It's back in 1960. Something could really tell you're 60, probably around. 66, we're at a park, and I can tell you exactly where we're at. We're at a park in Independence, Kansas in this park, had different things, and we're around the three pigs. My dad with his cowboy hat on and his arm around. My mom my older sister looking over the shoulder of everybody else. We were there, visiting her, my youngest sister is there and it looks like she's got her finger stuck in one of the pigs ears. We don't know exactly what she was doing. I was on top of one of the pigs. My brothers looking around me. My younger. My middle, sister's sitting on the ground in front of everybody. There is a picture of our whole family, mom, and dad.

I had not even thought about those moments are those times and I saw that picture that snapshot and boom. There it is. I remembered that moment. And I didn't cry. I didn't know, I don't know. I didn't need to see that if Pratt brought back a moment of peace and brought back, a moment of calmness, I was probably 67 years of age in that picture didn't have a care in the world. I had a flat top two.

I don't have a flat top anymore. Have you noticed? Veterinary my flat top. If I don't care in the world that I have. Why? Because I was with Mom, I was with Dad little. Did I know that six or seven years later mom would no longer be with us.

I didn't know that. And when that moment came that Mom was no longer with us. When I was 13 years of age, yes, There's a moment in time in life where all that peace order goes away. But that week of her death, and all of her siblings coming in my aunts and my uncles coming for the funeral, I found myself as a 13 year old child consoling. My aunts, and my uncles. You know why? Because I had the piece that Guy Pearce, They didn't. They're all worried dolls that are you guys going to survive? What are you going to do? And my aunt rolled God will see us through pop that my whole life. I believe that then I believe it now. But, guess what? When I stub, my little pinky toe, I forget that sometimes, don't you? Then you stop and take a breath. Got to get us through. And he will, you know why? Because he says, I will never leave you nor forsake you Peace, I leave with you. My peace. I give to you. Jeremiah 17:7 diversity, we read. This is Wes is a man who trusts in the Lord whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted By the Waters which spreads on its roots by the river and will not fear when he comes. But it's Leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drop nor will cease from yielding fruit. Now you weren't, we read that passage and you may say why I sort of heard that somewhere before, not quite like that. But it's someone we re pretty much the same thing. Blessed is the man who walketh. Not in the counsel of the ungodly, go stand in the way of sinister sits in the seat of the scornful, but his Delight was where in the law of the Lord. And in his law, doth, he meditate every now and then. Now, it says everything his law doth, he meditate day and night, but then he goes and says and he shall be like a tree because we're meditating in the things of God, Ran his word. We shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Bringing forth the nourishment of that water to sustain us through trial and tribulation. It talks about that Our Roots will not dry up and watch, whatever we do will prosper.

We are to bring forth our fruit in our seas and he tells us in someone. Here's how we lose. Our peace, sometimes it hears how sometimes we cause other people to lose their peace. We think we we know what other people are to be. And how? and when they ought to do it, Scripture tells me that I need to bring forth my fruit. And my season. I cannot tell you. If I'm an apple tree bring forth apples. What right? Do I have to tell you as a peach tree? What you ought to be doing and how to grow peaches. All we get Rose Bowl of all Leslie, gold. God, give us wisdom. Understand where he's going here. We put pressure on other people because we think we know what they need. You're saying God you direct them, God, you help them to be what you want them to be. But usually we say, God hears, what they ought to be doing what they need to be. We're bringing forth our fruit. And somebody else's season, not necessarily the one God has for us. We pressure people lot of times and therefore, when we press your people piece or the lead doesn't hot. Now, that doesn't mean we just sit back and do nothing. The word of God guides, our subjects, as we gain nourishment, from what we learn from him, just as he says here, and Jeremiah 17th, that there's the roots, spread by the river, it will not be here when he comes, its Leaf will be green. Why? Because it's spread out, it will not be anxious in the year drought because it's gaining from that River nor will cease I'm using fruit.

I have found in life that when we cease from yielding fruit, as Christians, we don't have the piece that God wants us to have. I found that to be true in my life and I see it as true in other people's lives as well. No, I cannot tell you.

That tomorrow you will go out and you will share your gospel. Message your life with other people and three people. Accept Christ as your lord and savior. I can't tell you that but wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't it be great if you shared your testimony of somebody? And because of your testimony they said hey I want to know more about this Jesus that you serve just Jesus that you worship. And you tell him more, and you begin to see them grow and the more we invest and others spiritual growth and life. The more peace. We're going to have an art. Why? Because our focus is no longer on us. Our focus is on building up others. But when we start focusing Inward and we realize, you know what, I'm over here and all I got for Christmas with a plastic Tomahawk. My neighbor kid over there. He got a brand new bike. God, do you love him more than you love me? That's the way the world thinks us is a knot. I don't know why the neighbor kid got a brand new bike and I just got a, I don't know what the neighbor kid got. I'm just throwing that out as a comparison, but I do know what I got. I got a plastic tomahawk. Does that mean that God does not love me as much as that may be? Maybe the neighbor kid. Need a little more proof in his life as a how wonderful God is because I was raised up in it, you know I'm saying? Little is much. When gods in it. Amen.

What if what if this morning we were in Ukraine? what if this morning, we were fearful of bombs being dropped upon our city. And around us as we worship. Would we have come together at the house of God when we have stayed home? What would we have done?

We don't have to worry about that right now. Doing not at this minute, someday, we might but I guarantee you this, my friends that when we are one with Jesus, when we were at peace with him, regardless of what's going on around us, He will see us through. You mean we're not going to die. I didn't say that. You may see us through the heaven. Hey man. I'm not afraid of that. I'm not ready to go to the I'm prepared to go today. I got my ticket. I haven't packed my bags. Cuz I don't expect to go to heaven today. But if I do, I'm okay with that. Because my peace is not in the things of the world. My peace is in Jesus. Peace, I leave with you. My peace. I give to you. Not as the world gives let not your heart. Be troubled, neither, Let It Be Afraid. We see that we are friends of the Lord of peace, that nice to know. We are friends with the Lord of Peace when we were in unison with him and one with him and John 14:21 and John 15:14. He says, I will know that you are my friends if you keep my Commandments. I will know that you love me. If you keep my Commandments is important for us to know what God is saying and how he looks upon us. This Oneness of God is not doing what we want. Whenever we want this one. That's with god, this piece that comes from him, is by doing what he is asked us to do. Because there's not one thing that he has asked us to do, that's bad Force. There may be things. She's asked us to do, we don't want to do. That's true in life.

I never learned how to swim. I can swim a little bit but I can't swim well enough to save you. If you were. I probably try, but then we'll probably both ground. But at least I died trying You probably die too cuz I'm a weight around your neck at that point. I'm not afraid of water. I'll jump in water over my head. That's just sort of foolish. Is it? Not But I didn't learn how to swim because growing up as a as a kid. That was wrong. They will have to swim and be wrong, I don't know. It's just what it was going up. There was girls there at that swimming pool and they weren't dressed very Bully. So, I was not allowed to learn how to go swimming. I was not aware allowed to go swimming.

In all of that rules and regulations that my Earthly father gave me, he never said don't go to the swimming pool. The fence. He said, don't go in to the fence when I see everything that was on the other side of the fence. And he was right. There were girls there. And they didn't have a whole lot on.

We're talkin back in the seventies. They were less than anyway.

Nothing. What happened was? I ended up not being in one with my Earthly father because I disobeyed him. And lied. One day, I didn't go to the swimming pool. One day, I didn't jump in the pool. One day on the way there. I went by my friends house, Mickey Providence and the sprinkler was going on at his house. It was harder. So I ran through the sprinklers, I got soaking wet.

Went and jumped in the pool city pool, paint the corner, whatever it cost me to get in. Didn't have a very good time to wasn't a whole lot of Peace in my life. You know why? Because I knew I was disobedient to my Earthly father. And I knew that if somebody saw me and said something to my father about it, I was in trouble.

And sure enough. Somebody saw me all, they didn't say anything to my father. They told my sister.

So, I had left a swimming pool on the way back home again. Walking by Nicki provinces house sprinklers going

Got wet again. I get home. And dad says, boy, why are you all wet? All because I rented a sprinkler at Mickey provinces house true story.

Just wasn't the whole truth. When I was covering up. My initial disobedience. I did not have that piece because I did not enjoy lying. To my father, much less anyone else. I went in the house and change my clothes and shortly thereafter. Your dad comes into my room.

Sonia want to change your story.

About what that? Why were you all wet? It's all wet because I run to the sprinkler and make you promises house. Really. your sister said, You were at the pool.

Well, yeah, I got wet there to dad but I was all wet when you saw me cuz I was trying to work my way. See you. The piece of one is between my father and I was not broken.

And it had to be restored. We do the same thing with our heavenly father. Do we not? We allow the things of the world to distract us and take us away from where we need to be that one that's with our Heavenly Father, which is more important.

Then the one that's with one another. Our Oneness with God, when that is right brings a piece and when this one that's with God is, right? This is going to be right from me to you.

I said it for 30 years, I'll set another 30 years when this is, right? This is going to be right. I can't help what comes back, I can only help what goes out. And here's what God is saying, when we are friends with him when we obey him, When we honor him by serving him and doing what he has commanded us to do, we show him that love and we have his peace.

Look what he says in Isaiah 48:17, all that you had heat of my Commandments. Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness, like the waves of the sea.

Not too many times. We see a river run out of water. It does happen. but that water I've lived up here, 30 years, 30, plus years, 37 years, I've watched the Battenkill, I've never seen the Battenkill, run out of water, and there's a lot of water that goes by. so, just think of that when you, when you read this verse, When he says, all that you adhere to my Commandments, in your peace, would have been like a river flowing. And your righteousness, like the waves of the sea.

See myself in this body by myself, have I have no righteousness whatsoever, not enough. And the only righteous I can have is what God sees in me through. His son, Jesus Christ. That gives me peace. How about you that gives me. Hope that gives me joy.

Psalm 119:165

Great peace. Have those. Who love your law. You know why this world today has no peace?

They sound the Bible out. They don't love the law. We cannot have true. Peace Oneness with God.

If we're not doing the things she's asked us to do. Isaiah 26 verse 3 says, you will keep him in. Perfect peace. Whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you Where's your mind today? What's on your heart? What's on your mind? What occupies most of your time?

Now, think about this with me, that little baby Jesus. Brought into this world knowing what was going on in his life. He was God, In the Flesh even as a baby. So I'm 32 years later goes to that cross knowing from the, from the cradle to the Cross pain, and sorrow was going to happen knowing that he did not have a home to call his own. Even told his life, will you come and follow me, it's not going to be an easy thing to do. Foxes. Have holes and birds have nests with the son of man has no place to lay his head. So good luck on finding that piece, huh? But you did, because his ministry was not about himself so to speak. His ministry was about others, reaching out, building them up, healing the blind. Taking care of the lame. Reaching out and healing those of leprosy. Not just speaking into it to them but touching them. It's a movie that was killed. When our ministry in our relationship with God is reaching out to others. Peace comes.

Try it this week. Share your testimony. With other people. No, listen to me. It can happen and it's important to do this as well, but go to somebody, you know, not just some random person off the street that you'll probably never see again. Go to somebody, you know. Is it hey, let me tell you what Jesus is doing for me. I mean this Christmas is all about him, Eman. Next Sunday. We're having birthday cake. Is Jesus birthday. Ready? You ready for that? I don't. How many candles we putting on that cake, but there's going to be a few

When can I go to another random stranger yet? Sure you got my message with lemon and know that the seed is planted.

But you may never know until we get to heaven. But go to somebody that, you know, go to somebody that you love, go to somebody that you care about, let me tell you about Jesus Christ so that you can help cultivate that.

And get the peace that comes from a life being changed. By Jesus. Peace, I leave with you. My peace. I give to you not as the world gives let not your heart. Be troubled. Neither Let It Be Afraid.

Proverbs 4:23 says keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring, the issues of life. What's important to you? What's on your heart? What's on your mind? What is it? That's keeping you from serving God the way that you should in the way you need to That's why I steals our peace when we let the things of the world. Take us away from the things of God. But when we get back on track With God, all you can bump that little pinky toe and that can hurt. But eventually, the peace of God is there's back in. Why? Because you realize it's just a pinky toe. I didn't break a leg. Maybe a broken leg would hurt less. I don't know. But guess what? God's got a purpose and a plan for each and everyone of us. And that purpose and a plan that he has for us is to take that gift of peace. And share it with those that we come into contact with. But if you don't, truly have a Oneness with God, it's going to be hard to share that piece the way you should. But when you had that one is with God, you take what he is giving you and you share that with others.

One Last Story. I told you this story before a few times. I apologize for repeating my stories, because after 37 years, I have not a whole lot of stories in the past that you haven't heard about probably. Do you remember my story about the bow and arrow that I was going with little suction cups on the end? I don't remember when I got that toy. I remember having that toy. And I remember having three arrows, you know, you're licked the end of the arrows and you shoot them at the windows or whatnot and hope the window didn't break. So, they stick. Never now and then just shoot him at people. Right. This, what you did?

Had some friends come over to visit one time and they were play with my bow and arrows that I was probably 5. Maybe 6 years of age, I don't really remember. I just remember where it was and that was processing my age there. I didn't like the fact that they were playing with my bows and arrows. so, I went and took the arrows as a shot and pick them up and I remember having three of them, And I broke the arrows. So that they couldn't play with them anymore.

I didn't think that one through.

I had a lot of Peace when I broke the arrows. I showed you. until I went to play with my bows and arrows, And all my arrows were broken.