July 31, 2016

We've been focusing on the first three verses of Colossians chapter 3. It's I want to continue that this morning Paul says in Colossians chapter 3 he rides. So if you have been raised with Christ seek, the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God continues set your minds on things that are above not on things that are on Earth for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Spell I think this is an amazing verse but I love the fact that elsewhere in Scripture. You find a passage like this and 2nd Peter Peter writes Paul writes the same way in all his letters speaking in the end of these matters his letters contain some things that are hard to understand. I love that Peter confesses that because sometimes you read Paul and you think that's beautiful and that's moving but then you think about it longer you think that's also kind of mysterious. What does it mean that that we've been raised with Christ that we died with Christ that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. And so I love when you read that scripture. Do you find Peter saying to those he's writing to you know, Paul writes a lot of great stuff on what I'm talking to you about hear some of his stuff is hard to understand and so if Peter the first pope if he could say you don't have to spend some time thinking about pondering on their they're not always easy to understand they're hard to understand until they bring questions like this to remind how how did I die with Jesus? How did I Rise? And that's some of what we talked about the past few weeks looking at this passage in Colossians. And essentially we deny ourselves and place our faith in Christ. I mean, that's the cliff notes version of what it means that we die with him and that we rise with him. I mean that's that's why the heart of Christianity is the good news about Christ life and teachings death burial and Resurrection being preached so that every ear could hear and hopefully every tongue confess during this lifetime that Jesus Christ is Lord that we could hear the gospel the good news. But God the father and God the son got together and made this plan for our sins to be covered. And for Christ's righteousness to be imparted to us. And as we hear and believe and understand and respond repent and confess and are baptized as we respond to that gospel. That's what it means that we deny. That's what it means that we died with Christ and that we arise with him. We die as we deny ourselves Jesus again and again throughout the gospel said this is the way you will find your life pick up your cross deny yourself and follow me. So in the simplest terms that dying with Christ is when we say to our very selves she don't want Robbie instead of living life the way you would choose to live it limited to your own wisdom and desires and knowledge. I'm going to make this decision. To turn to Christ. I'm going to deny myself being the captain of my own destiny. The one who chooses all of my own life path and instead. I'm going to place my faith not at myself out of my own wisdom or ability or knowledge or culture or country or anyting else Under the Sun that we could place our trust in instead. I'm going to deny myself and I'm going to place my faith in Christ. And so when I deny myself and instead I trust in Christ, I die to myself. I died with Christ and when I trust in him I Rise with him

He does for us in this transaction. So to speak he does for us what we cannot do for ourself. He pays for our sins and provides our righteousness. That's the essence of the Gospel. We talked about looks since you've been raised with Christ. So if you've been raised with Christ, since this has occurred since you've heard the gospel Paul is riding those who heard the gospel if they understood it and they responded to it. So since you've done this you've you've died with Christ and you've been resurrected with Christ. This has occurred at so he's provided for us what we cannot provide for a cell. Which of the top of that list is for our sins to be paid for? He provided payment for our sins. That's not a radical statement. Is it if you're if you're familiar with the scriptures, if you're familiar with the New Testament, you've heard that before that Jesus Paid It all right that he paid for our sins to remind those in Clash of this and I think we need to be reminded of it because if we're not careful we slip away from the gospels and we try to pay for our sins ourselves. If I ever do that any Christians ever do that, sometimes we do it through punishing ourselves. Sometimes we're so frustrated with our weakness and our failure and the Sam we discovered our life even after following Christ that we can pick ourselves flower down and we punish ourselves. That's a subtle form of departing from the gospel. Because you're taking on the role that only Christ can fill. Because only righteous blood shed can cover sins. We don't have righteous blood. I can punish myself. I can flog myself until I bleed and my blood cannot come over my own since no matter how much I try. I cannot accomplish it on my own and so that very thing that I cannot provide for myself Christ provides for me. And so fundamentally part of what it means to be a person of Faith a Christian who's following. Jesus is to stop trying to pay for our own since but to instead take our eyes off ourselves and Focus On Christ. And not only does he provide for our sins to be covered. He also provides us with righteousness something we cannot do for ourself no matter how good we try to behave On The Other Extreme from punishing herself to sang. Hey, I'm alright great things we can do some great things, but they don't rise to the level of being righteous. Holy pure and policy when we do good things. They might be mixed up with her own mixed motives as a matter what we do we cannot provide for our own righteousness and soak rice provides. Not only for the Forgiveness of our sins the payment for a second, but he also imparts to us his righteousness that alone. I just call Aaron back at the weirdest thing if you worship songs.

Because that's what Christ has provided. That's what Paul has focused on in these first few verses for us. But we're also Christ invites us to do what we can which among other things is the set our minds and turn our hearts in his direction. We are things that we can do. So the provision of our sins being covered and righteousness being imparted to us through the work of Christ that Grace does not eliminate any action on our part. It does not mean that since we're saved by faith and by grace that we just do nothing. It means that the things that we cannot do for ourselves Christ provides for us and we need to no longer wrestle or fret about our sins being covered or ourselves being righteous because Christ has provided for that but we are invited to follow him as disciples. We are invited to do the things that we can't stand so again and again in the gospels and his teachings and his modeling in his example. Jesus said, here's the way to walk through life and were invited to follow and to obey to do this weekend not to earn anything cuz it's not possible. Possible that we could obey in such a way that somehow we cover. Our own sins are provide for all unrighteousness. We're invited as a continuing demonstration of God's grace and love not only does God say to us through the work of Christ. I love you. I cover your sins myself. And I grant you righteousness eternity in heaven security. We're going to be together. Nothing. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ. Jesus. Nothing above the Earth. Nothing a dozen Romans 8:8 us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus that is secure and in the context of that Grace and love he says come those of you who are weary and burdened come to learn from me. Learn how to walk through this life in such a way that you see the guy in the father's presence. And that you live out of that Grace and you live out of that confidence of knowing God the father and don't even In this passage. I think Paul has the whole gospel wrapped up in it what he said since you've been raised and you've done before I set your minds on things because of what God has done for us. The things we can't do for ourselves then do what we can do set our minds on things above we talked about that last week how we have the ability to set our minds like the dial on our radio. We can choose what we're listening to so to speak don't we do it in perfectly, but we can do it. Right, we can choose to set our minds to memorize scripture took to listen to worship songs to to listen to good teachers tub to to take our minds and put them on Christ and what he's done and take them off ourselves.

Last week I talked about the danger. He backups. You don't start reading that one. I want to say this last week. I had talked about the danger of getting off path and why things like gossip are listed in the scriptures along with all these other sins that we immediately think. Oh, yeah, that's an awful awful sin. And then hearing that list is gossip, but you think what that doesn't seem as awful as all the others but gossip is this turning of our minds at your heart away from the blessings that God has for us focusing not on what he has done and what he wants to continue to do in our lives and hearts and minds but instead kind of turning our back on that goodness on that light on that Grace an indwelling in such a way that we end up hurting ourselves and missing out on what God has for us. I thought about this quote from CS Lewis, which really speaks to that reality. He says it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong. But to week we are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and Ambitions when Ensign enjoy Is offered to us like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at Sea. We are far too easily. Pleased Lewis is always so insightful not only about the things of God, but about the things of the human heart. And he points out that God might look now. Since I you know what it's it's not that your desires are bad. It's that they're too weak. The bar is too low you're saying you know, what if I can just enjoy some good food, you know, we talked about this FF epidemic among all of us where he's been 15 minutes trying to decide where to eat because that's become one of our little Avenues of satisfaction. I love to discover a new restaurant for discover some great burger that I've never had or some great place and that can almost become to Scuttle little distraction and love itself. It's not bad or wrong. So don't miss hear me but things like that if we're not careful can become these things that we kind of obsessed with these lesser desires as Lewis says until we become obsessed with maybe maybe it's Financial Security if I just get a little more money in my 401k if I just get all that now the way I will have Financial Security and there's a little bit of satisfaction we get from that don't we And we kind of put that in the heart a little bit maybe we could stuff it into the so little bit and we think come what may baby. I've got a big fat nest egg. And so no matter what the news channel starts broadcasting. I got a little piece. Man-made. Peace Guess what happens to man-made piece? You buy remember 2008?

There were a lot of people that had all kinds of Nest Egg put away things. They had accomplished on their own with great at admirable discipline and hard work.

Just like that. I was in I was in South Korea when Panic started to sift through our group of doctoral students who were over there studying because we were all on scholarship and the Word was they were never going to fly us back home. I'm here the crisis here in the US and trickle down to such a waste that money they had invested in mutual funds that was funding that program, you know, a 50 million dollar account suddenly drop down and nothing overnight there like we got it. We know everybody's Pannikin. One of my favorite stories was a little time later meeting the gentleman over a fundraising for Asbury the school. I was getting my doctorate at here in Wilmore. I met him in the context of all this I said, oh brother when he told me he was we were a little get-together and I said all man he said what I said, your job has been hacked the past few months how have you not just develop an ulcer because he said you wouldn't believe me. If I told you I said tell me he said we just had a retreat with our top 53 givers for Asbury and every one of them increase to they're giving I said you got to be kidding me. I said how that happened. He said we were shop we gather together the way we do each year and we're just thinking you know, what just stop the bleeding just stop the bleeding and instead all of them came together. The Lord has moved in their hearts and minds and their Spirits in such a way that they said, you know what this taught us this crash of the stock market taught. I taught us we had our investments in temporary things and not Eternal things were all up in our giving to the kingdom of God. Amen.

We're not careful. The things of this world can become the things that we depend on and no matter how secure we feel about them. For example anybody here under 30 raise your hand if you're under 30, I judge all of you right now. I'll pick on Tim when you're younger. You just feel Invincible. Don't you you just feel you eat, whatever you want. Your you would kind of behavior you want. You think I'm going to live forever. I'm going to be flat stomach forever. I'm going to be fit forever everybody over 30. Can I get a testimony? What happens over time so many things that we think these are sure think I'm going to put my money in the stock market. I'm going to I'm going to put my my effort or my faith or my confidence in myself. I'm hardworking. I have a career anybody have a career change in their lifetime that they did not expect to happen. I'm going to put my hope in my youth because I'm just going to stay young and fit and good-looking forever. Some of us managed to do that.

My wife for example. But you know what the things of this world they fade and so it's an act of Grace and love that that were called by Christ to trust in him to do what we can to set our minds on things above the things that last so let's continue just briefly and reflect on this a little bit. How is my life hidden in Christ Paul uses in Christ or Christ in US 89 times that phrase that concept is vital to Paul that that part of what we need to know not only have we been have we died with price and have we been raised with him not only do we have those blessings and the challenge of setting our minds on things above he repeats kind of the same thing against looks you need to know that your life is hidden its secure it safe. We are in Christ. He says elsewhere He is this language. He says for in him. We live and move and have our being in that a great phrase. Paul says, you know what went when we understand the reality of the universe and we are reconciled to God through the work of Christ and we live and move and have our being in God and a Colossians uses raise our lives are hidden hidden. And God through Christ. It's kind of like this. I heard one author talk about these Russian nesting dolls. Anybody familiar with these Russian nesting dolls, so you can take them apart and then there's another one right inside that and then when you take that one apart going to drop this some trouble. There's another one right inside that and then when you take that one apart, there's another even smaller one right inside that and then they all go back in. That one goes in and then this one. And then that one and then this one and then they're all back together all inside there. He said he received one of these as a gift from a student once and later. He was thinking about this passage in Colossians and he's thinking how is it that my life is is in. Hidden in Christ and God. How does that work? And he started thinking about these nesting dolls and realized just what I showed you the $1 inside the other and at the same time another doll is outside of it that it all ends up being this one doll that our lives are hidden in Christ in that regard. He's like one of those smaller dolls inside and crisis that doll on the outside. His life is in Christ. It's all one call again. And again says you are in Christ. He says what I've been saying already that since we are in Christ guess what his righteousness is our righteousness. His provision of payment for sins is our provision for payment of since we are in Christ in the same way that doll has a doll inside of it Christ is in living and moving and acting and living out his life through a false is in glaciers is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me to both those things are always going on kind of simultaneously that our righteousness and our sins being covered are provided by our status of being in Christ. That's our identity. And at the same time that righteousness is attributed to us allows Christ to dwell inside of us and to work at our hearts and our minds and to do this kind of renovation in this home. It's already graciously bought paid for provided everything is there and he says you don't have to worry about anything, but we can do some renovating. And so he helps us he stands at the door is Revelations. 3:20 says behold. I stand at the door and knock and that's Jesus speaking to Christians in the context of Revelation. I stand at the door and knock if you open it up. I'll come in on the father with me and we will sit down and have dinner with you where invited to this intimate fellowship with God the Father with Jesus the son that can be the basis for this renovation of our hearts and Minds where he might say to us like he did to all those gentlemen. It has very you know, what we invested in temporary things then we even though we thought they were permanent when we had all our funds in the stock market exchange just like that and I shifted and gave more to the kingdom of God because guess what the kingdom of God is eternal. Look look last week. This is not my game. I feel guilty cuz we had lots of wonderful volunteers for VBS. But BBS is just one example of dozens of things that you can do with your time. You you could set home in the evening and watch a television show that's wonderful and doing that right now and then tis a fine thing, but if you're not careful that can become kind of the substance of your life. Were you just bounced from satisfying meal to satisfying entertainment to satisfying sleep to maybe I can find a pretty place to eat tomorrow. Maybe there'll be another form of entertainment. I like in your life can be made up of making mud pies in a slump when you're invited on all expense paid luxury cruise and you're missing out. Because the reality is watching a TV show in the evening will come and go but spending an evening at VBS investing in the life of a child. Guess what that's eternal. That's eternal. And we could say about three dozen other things with you go downtown and help Gary feed those in need whether whether you turn the TV off and spend 20 minutes and prayer before you go to bed over the church prayer list that we can choose to set our minds on things above and we can connect our lives with the Eternal and their significance can Skyrocket because we're investing in the kingdom of God, which by the way is not always seen with human eyes. Sometimes we think but it feels so much more satisfying to just to eat potato chips for 3 hours in front of the TV, you know, what which is more satisfying in the long run what happens afterwards. You feel very great about that morning spent, you know Saturday morning. No one's home. No one's going to know I'm going to eat two bags of Doritos and watch cartoons for 3 hours. Don't let me know about it or if that Saturday morning was spent helping somebody move who didn't have anybody in their life to help them move.

In the context of even just a week later, which of those is going to be more satisfying to spend your Saturday morning one more challenge than call to set our minds on things above to be obedient to the things that God wants us to it's because he wants to feel our lives our hearts with more and more of Eternity itself with more and more of those things that last those things that are significant. We are offered the opportunity to live at he's not directed by anxiety about self or the world. I Luda Matthew 11 already. Jesus is looking for bird and I'm telling you come and take my Kumon work the way I tell you to work come invest your time and your life the way I lead you to invest it and it is a lightness. There is a richness to it. There is an eternity to it that far outweighs the ways of this world. And if we follow the ways of this world, I think of those soldiers who are always yell at attention and we kind of live life just with this tension. How many get filled with tension when you watched the news lately, right? I mean, there's so much stuff before, you know, I can finish thing, and I know I got to get more money in my retirement account. I don't know what's going to happen to the world way things are going this and then there's Wars and then there's more of this more than I don't I need to cancel my trip traveling so much is going on all over the world if we travel what if something happens to us. I need to know what if something happens to the president Lord have mercy on these here United States what's going to happen in November and before you know, it guess what you're developing an ulcer. Write your living with this tension about everything out there in the world. What's going to happen? How am I going to pay for it? What am I going to do if it goes south.

You have no control over it anyway.

And it's not eternal.

Jesus invites us at ease soldier relax of shoulders a little bit. What if you place your faith in me Jesus death? What if you don't fret and worry about your ability to manage all of your life to manage the world itself to react to Wars and Terror at election and everything? That's what if you were a Citizen First of Heaven and the kingdom of God before you were a citizen of this world. What if you placed your faith in Jesus Christ play Death In The Grave does he need any more credentials? What's the greatest thing that we fear the greatest thing that awaits us is death itself. The reason we cancel that trip because we don't want to be at the airport when something awful happens and guess what that we might die. The reason we worry about providing us with what if we get really sick and it takes a lot of money for me to keep leaving Days of Christ provides eternal life. The greatest fear we have is resolved when we place our faith in Christ. And so he invites us to let go of having our lives directed by anxiety about the world around us for anxiety about herself. Am I good enough have I worked hard enough have I didn't volunteer for VBS and Robbie mentioned BBS, and now I feel guilty that I didn't help out with me because I watch TV all week long, you know. Invite us to let go of that anxiety about our self and accept the gift of salvation of our sins being forgiven of our righteousness being provided for us through him so that we have the security to know our lives are hidden in Christ there in God the weird. That's alright. That's our identity. That's our security that we are in Christ in Christ is our security is our identity, not our success our performance or our resources can everybody just take a big breath and just a sigh relief we do that with me now.

Has anybody been worried about their resources in the past decade? If I'm worried about their career in the past decade or your success or lack thereof. Your life does not depend upon those things. You can place your faith in Christ. And your identity is in Christ. We going to do Sunday school. By the way, you have gotten a flyer about it starting in a few weeks feeling Jerry surls going to teach us all about our identity in Christ. So if you want to go deeper in this subject sign up for that take that opportunity that the rising just the next few weeks. That's our place in this world. It is in Christ were given this new location because of the Gospel. We're not simply on Earth We're not simply in this world with no anchors. We're not simply loose with no covering with no protection. We are given a place in Christ and that place is secure. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus. Even death itself was laid in the grave by Christ and his power is righteousness. His forgiveness is imparted to us as we place our faith in him last couple of thoughts here. I am one in whom Christ dwells in the lights. Do you realize that's part of what Paul is saying here? That the gospel itself is the expression of God's love for us his care for us as he says in Romans 5 while we were still sinners Christ died for us and he has brought us into himself. Our lives are hidden with him because of his great love for us. So he not only dwells in us, but he loves us he Delights in us. That's our identity. That's not wishful thinking that is reality. What's wishful thinking is that you can make a life in this world with your own two hands out of a savings account and a career and trying to stay young looking. That's what wishful thinking. And the devil has pulled the wool over eyes and convinced us that what's happening in this world is what's real and that oh that Christianity stuff that by-and-by that that's wishful thinking. It's just the opposite. This is reality. It is a permanent display in history that Christ came and died on the cross. Providing salvation to those who will receive it that's reality. That if you've placed your faith in Christ, you're one in whom Christ dwells and delights. And that eternity is your lot in life your destiny the thing to which price invite you they're two great books one by James Smith called hidden which is shaped as a policy reasons. I always try to be transparent sometimes I forget I'm always dependent on good writers. I read all the time love to discover new books and New Riders and so he's got a book called hidden. If you want to go deeper on Colossians grab that book and read it you will love it. There's also a book by on right now and called life of the Beloved and it's another awesome book on that that sentence right there. I am one in whom Christ dwells and the lights in the daily devotional to read and to remind ourselves of our identity in Christ. There's there's three dozen others, but those who come to mine in case you want to go deeper on this subject. I'm going to buy the worship team to come forward. I want to just and with these thoughts here part of the challenge for us to apply this is to replace fretting over your commitment to him with marveling over his great commitment to you. I think about that for a moment. Sometimes we fret over. Am I good enough. Am I working hard enough, you know this person that I met the other day. They've been in church since nine months before they were born. I mean I didn't I didn't come to church at 4:34. And then I finally behind everybody else. Do you see how easy it is to fret over our commitment have I done enough? Am I good enough to listen you can never do enough. And never be good enough on your own. One way to quickly spot a man-made religion vs. Christianity is a man-made religion will put the burden on you to save yourself through your own works or activities. And True Religion shines the light on God on his greatness on his being so far above human character so much more loving so much more gracious than we could ever muster on our own and a light is shined upon him. So we stopped fretting about our own anxiety about the world around us our own effort and instead. We begin to Marvel at his commitment to us if you placed your faith in Christ, then your life is hidden in Christ. with God Mac that your salvation is secure that your eternity is set that your sins are forgiven. That you're unrighteousness has been covered with the righteousness of Christ himself that you are indeed a saint not a wannabe not a faker. But in deed someone who is covered with the righteousness of Christ a saint before the Lord, you are a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Dennis and excitement of that and then the invitation out of that security in that Grace. To do what we can know what we can't to do what we can. The spread that Kingdom to reveal his goodness in his light to others as it works through us.

If you've never placed your faith in Christ, if you've never denied yourself and it's dead instead, I place my faith in Christ. I invite you during the song De Campo and I'll be up front here make that decision drunk uncle in front of a crowd. You can pull me aside after the service. I'd love to pray with you answer any questions you have will have other folks in the back and the front to her just here for prayer. So if you have a prayer concern, you don't want to talk to the preacher. He talks too much go to one of them and and and let them know the things that go around your monitor weighing you down that you want to pray about. We'd love to pray with you during this time to please stand as we sing.

Well, we want to close our service with just a special little activity. I'm going to invite the families that went to Mexico this past you to come up front Erin Doolittle. If you're in the room, I'm inviting you to and Will Phillips. If you're in the room, I want you up here will is going to be our cameraman though. So I won't put him on the spot beyond that come on up. We had a group of about 11 that went to Mexico and June did Mission work and we want to just do a quick interview with them and share a little bit also next Sunday David Patrick. Will you stand up for just a moment David Patrick's also a missionary? This summer he went to India and I'm going to invite him up next Sunday and we're going to hear about his trip to India a little bit. But this morning I want to interview these folks just briefly how the kids may or may not like the idea of being interviewed. We'll see about the Mexico mission trip. We had everyone here plus my daughter Maggie who is probably downstairs helping with children's ministry and my wife lying and who is downstairs helping with children's ministry and my son Carter who is in college and a university in Knoxville that I will not name in the presence here Wild Cat Country, but he came with us and it did an awesome job until we go down each summer. I started the summer of 86 going down my first year as a new Christian and love this ministry Building Homes and serving in Mexico. And then over the years. We all got older and fatter and all kinds of other things. And so we started we started a triple we can bring our families with us cuz we weren't just college guys coming by ourselves. So this is year 21 of a family-based mission trip in Mexico, but a hundred fifty of us. Will come from different parts of the world. Mostly the US meet San Diego across the border set up tents we built for homes. We saw 350 patients and eye clinic and ran VBS during the week and all of that is done by moms and dads and kids who do the ministry and the work and the labor and so it's a unique Ministry opportunity. The Mexico Family Camp is so the Michaels family they all came and let me ask what was one of your favorite things about the week in Mexico. You don't have to answer if you don't want to hear me. That they would come up here if they didn't have to talk.

Well, I will say that Jaden's favorite. He told me earlier was playing soccer and having play dates all week. And it's just a unique experience that you get to live and work besides people have meals with them worship there with them. And so it really is a really special time of just being with other Christians and doing everything doing life together with them and I would say if we do agree that's the same favorite part for you. I know friends are really important to her and I'm yeah, I'm so yeah, I would say kind of for the three of us. Anyway, what was one of the biggest surprises to you since you hadn't been for the past couple years.

I'd say the biggest surprises mostly just being flexible. Flexible especially with the hot temperatures. I was kind of looking when we got back. How did this year compared with last year's temperatures. So looking on like weather.com and it on average is about 10 degrees hotter and adjust the first day working laying the slab it was 111 or something degrees like that. I think part of it. Just to kind of tie in with that. You know, it's a lot of hard work. I enjoy being outdoors. Anyway, I don't get to do it as much as I would really like. So this is just great for me to do and get to do it with my kids and my wife but I think what I enjoyed the most about his even after sweating and working hard is the worship in the evening. There's just a taste of it. I think I'd heard one point like a translation of Heaven is a cool breeze and just having that in the evening in a circus tent worshipping. It's like even in the desert with dust blowing around it just seemed perfect. It seemed very Heavenly. It's like I could do this for eternity. I'd be fine with that. So is really good. Thank you. Summer came this year and it was her first year in awesome job and her dad did okay. She helped him out when he couldn't quite cut it but they did a great job. And what was one of your favorite things and I'll let either of you answering

I think we just enjoy.

the heat probably

How well everybody work together like the whole week. It was like head on everybody is working great together and everything was flushed and everybody like obviously some people had like you and some people had previous experience with building things so that especially with me since I'd really never done anything like this before it was a great experience. You did an awesome job. By the way, the whole group did well, do you want to hear anything special about Mexico? I would just like to say that Erin's first year. He was 17 years old and it was 111 degrees. My first year. I was 8 years old news a hundred 22° so we can just compare those numbers.

Que no one's ever going to come to Mexico with us now.

The over 20 some years. There's been two years where the temperature is what three years that I can remember the temperatures were super high. This was one of them is 111 on Monday. And so we just have to pace ourselves and drink plenty of water when you're got up 225 I think and we were just debating to be load everybody up on buses and cross the border just a cool people down going to the mall or something when suddenly the leadership came out to put your swimsuits on we thought they were going to give a squirt guns or something to try to alleviate the Heat and we discovered the Lord sovereignty within walking distance of our desert Campground was a nice private home with an inground pool full of ice cold water. And so we made an arrangement with that owner and pay the per person fee. We all packed in there like sardines and it stay there the afternoon to cool down. So we usually find ways to manage it. The other year was the first year I went I was there all summer there was a week when is 116 and we just drink plenty of water and we had a little more freedom than cuz we're just learning. We're just make it up as we go along so We took CSS the middle of day went to town 8cs that makes sense. See you don't know that till you go live in another country or not lazy. I have to take a break at the peak of the day goes, we're getting the shade has of a cool drink and either start at 5 a.m. And work earlier or take the brake work later in the afternoon, but it's an awesome group of folks. We know that providing the homes literally saves lives because those families without homes are living in lean twos. The rainy season will produce just mud for their floors their children will get sick. And if you can't get your kids off the mud if you can't get them clean and dry, then you end up with life-threatening issues in the last of your children, and we've had many families come to leadership and say you saved our children by providing this home for us and we seen folks come to know the Lord as a result of seeing the Lord's love expressed in those homes one gentleman Charities been a pastor. They are the pass. 30 years and it started the summer of 86 when his family got home. He said I hated God and then this this group of Christians, which would have been one of our groups in 86 the group. I was with back then describe a person came and build a home at this is from God and I started thinking maybe God doesn't hate me after all and he eventually converted became a pastor and it stayed in that Community for these thirty years. So you just never know all the fruit that's going to be born and honestly, I I bet no one here would trade the week for anyting else. Would you you know, you might think you kidding me. I could go to Disney World instead. I could be in a nice hotel in a somewhat. Let's go to Mexico and we set under umbrellas and Shake our glass of people bring me something to drink but we think I want to go to that kind of Mexico. I suspect none of us would trade it for that kind of weak. If you said hey, I'll give you an all-expense-paid week at a nice resort in Mexico. If you will not go and build homes with a more Ministries. I think we took no Ozark Eternal moments so much more memorable than the forgettable vacation that we can sometimes. Can I get addicted to we will go next we would love to take the people. We love to take people. It's a great opportunity to serve him and loved and left him a Christ now because of the preacher went long and I'll talk to him about that will try to get straightened out for next Sunday. Let me Aaron if there's nothing else. Can I just closes in prayer and we'll call ourselves done. All right. Let's let's break.