Your Words
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Introduction
Introduction
We had plans but not a map.
We had plans but not a map.
Twenty years ago, we did not know what the next twenty would hold.
We did not know the funerals.
We did not know the salvations.
We did not know the hard conversations.
We did not know the victories or the valleys.
But every week, we opened the Book.
Not because we saw the whole road.
Because we needed the next step.
God gave us a lamp.
And looking back, I can say this with confidence:
We did not carry the Word.
The Word carried us.
Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
We Have Walked by a Lamp
We Have Walked by a Lamp
In David’s day, a lamp was small.
A clay vessel. A small flame.
Held close to the ground.
It did not eliminate all darkness.
It gave just enough light to keep you from stumbling.
That is how the Word has worked among us.
It gave enough light to forgive.
Enough light to repent.
Enough light to endure.
Enough light to obey.
Not answers to every curiosity.
Light for the next act of faithfulness.
Over twenty years:
The light met us in hospital rooms.
The light met us in parenting decisions.
The light met us in leadership moments.
The light met us in private conviction.
The Word works close to where we actually live.
It shines at ground level.
How God Works Through His Word
How God Works Through His Word
1. God gives light for obedience, not speculation.
1. God gives light for obedience, not speculation.
A. The Word shows what is directly in front of us.
It exposes sin we would step into.
It clarifies the next right action.
B. The Word trains us to trust Him for what we cannot see.
We walk before we understand.
We obey before we see outcomes.
God does not satisfy our curiosity.
He forms our character.
2. God uses His Word to shape real life, not just church life.
2. God uses His Word to shape real life, not just church life.
A. The light reaches ordinary places.
Marriage.
Parenting.
Work and leadership.
B. The light confronts hidden places.
Pride.
Idols.
Compromise.
The Word is not decorative.
It is vital.
3. God proves His faithfulness every time we walk in the light.
3. God proves His faithfulness every time we walk in the light.
A. The Word stands steady when everything else shifts.
Culture changes.
Emotions fluctuate.
Circumstances shake.
B. The Word produces fruit over time.
Wisdom grows.
Character forms.
Confidence deepens.
For twenty years we have tested the Word in real life.
It has never contradicted the character of the God who gave it.
If it was enough then, it is enough now.
The Light Only Helps the One Who Walks
The Light Only Helps the One Who Walks
The lamp does not help the man who refuses to move.
The light only helps the one who walks.
What step did the Word call you to take that changed your life?
What verse steadied you in your darkest season?
What obedience felt costly but proved faithful?
The Word works when we step where it shines.
It corrects.
It comforts.
It directs.
It anchors.
But only if we walk.
The Next Twenty Years
The Next Twenty Years
For twenty years, we have walked by a lamp.
Not perfectly.
Not without questions.
But consistently.
We are not celebrating that we finished a study.
We are celebrating that God has been faithful.
His Word has been enough.
We will not trade that lamp for the glow of culture.
We will not exchange it for trends.
We will not dim it to fit the room.
We will keep opening the Book.
We will keep taking the next step.
We will keep trusting the light.
Because God’s Word has given us enough light for every faithful step.
And it will be enough for the next twenty years too.
Testimonies from Psalm 119
Testimonies from Psalm 119
Psalm 119:9
God’s Word straightens us out. It gets into our habits, our attitudes, our patterns. When we start drifting, the Bible pulls us back to a clean path.
9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Psalm 119:11
When we hide the Word in our heart, it guards us. The verses we memorize become the brakes when temptation accelerates.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:18
The Bible opens our eyes. It helps us see what we would normally miss. We begin to notice God’s hand in ordinary days.
18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psalm 119:24
God’s Word advises us. When we do not know what to do as parents, leaders, husbands, wives, we sit under Scripture and let it speak.
24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Psalm 119:50
The Word meets us in sorrow. In hospital rooms. In hard seasons. It breathes life back into tired hearts.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Psalm 119:72
The Bible resets what we value. It reminds us that knowing God is richer than anything we can earn.
72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
Psalm 119:89
God’s Word does not wobble. When culture shifts and opinions rage, the Bible stands steady. We build our lives on something that does not move.
89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:103
The Word satisfies us. It is not dry duty. It feeds the soul. There is joy in hearing from God.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:130
God’s Word makes ordinary people wise. You do not have to be impressive. You just have to be teachable.
130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
That is what we have seen for twenty years.
The Word corrected us.
The Word guarded us.
The Word guided us.
The Word comforted us.
The Word fed us.
The Word anchored us.
