Do or accomplish and that's hard we're so label oriented you know what do you do that's what most of us guys ask each other and I think a growing number of women do as well what is it you do what your label but what we really need as Christians to be focused on is what are we in God where are we at in Christ Jesus we want to remind you that God created you He loves you and he sees you even in the midst of the most mundane chores of life I mean he's there with us and it's easy for all of us to get caught up in a performance trap where we believe that success is measured by what we achieve choir or produce and God desires so much more from us and that is a relationship and a friendship with us I'm so glad that God is a relationship God that makes all the difference here focus we want to be there for you if today's broadcast touches you and you want to talk to somebody we have counselors we have resources and tools of course the book we're going to talk about today and they're here for you all you have to do is call us and our number is 800 a family you can also get trusted advice and resources at Focus on the Family dot com slash radio. Sarah Hagar tea is the author of a couple of books including unseen the gift of being hidden in a world that loves to be noticed and she and her husband have 6 children they live in the Kansas City area Sarah welcome back to focus thank you for having me back this is an interesting title and seen in that is so true we live in a culture especially with social media today where everybody's clamoring for a little glimpse a little moment on the stage it seems like yes which is really dampened our manners I think you know the more radical We could be the more outlandish we could be the more we get noticed and I think it's doing damage in the culture but you know many of us maybe even all of us have asked the question is this all that there is you know really is this it go to work raise a family which has a lot of blessing in it but there should be more and I think the opening question is this kind of the path that you went down is this implored what happened for you Well I think for me a lot of my journey and this was before social media was what it is now so in some senses I feel like it this what's worked its way into me matters even more now when we have so much access to being seen at any moment but I for me early on in my twenty's when my friends were having babies and growing their families and my husband and I were struggling with infertility I remember going to a baby shower I mean the scenario happened several times and just feeling like I might as well slink back into the corner because the stories that were being shared the sisterhood of bonds formed over these birthing stories I just couldn't relate to and I felt like my life because it wasn't what all these other women's lives were wasn't valuable and so I remember even driving home from one baby shower going is this all there is I am not on the track that they're on and I felt even then an invitation from Guide to find his eyes on me that I could try really hard to be. The thing that all these women were being or to make a life that matter had impact on the outside or I could hear that still small whisper that said Ask me what I think of you right now you know when I read your story you were a producer Yes I mean that's what I when I look at you you would have been the person I would have loved to work with yes because you're a get it done person in through college and teen ministry in I wanted to ask you about that because so often that high production person is driving for acceptance or maybe the Lord will love me more if I work harder for him I've heard that always makes me sad because I don't feel that's the Lord's equation it's like a bad employer Yeah and that's not the Lord's hard but talk me through that and how you manage that in your you know your college years and out of college you just seem like a high performer well and I think I didn't actually step back and think God needs me to perform for him in order that he would like me I just kind of naturally saw Christianity as a treadmill that we just turn up and run harder and run faster and I think that's a lot how the world is and we tend to transpose what we see in the world on Christianity especially in our early years and so for me I felt better when I was producing and I felt better when I was producing before I knew Jesus after I knew Jesus still felt good to share the gospel with more people and that's a good thing I don't want people to hear you know be lazy that's the goal no not at all you want to be productive Yes but there can't be a point at which it's harmful to you when you're making these things kind of if then if I do all these things then God will fill in the blank love me more appreciative me more bless me more and yet never might be but that idea in the book grabbed me when you mentioned you felt at one point counseling teenagers that you were going through the rote kind of delivery of it yet and you're having I can relate to what you're experiencing because you're having like 2 conversations right and you're going through Jesus loves. You and he cares about you in the back your mind you're going I said this to so many people I am I just saying this is do I believe it do I mean it yes then the back of my mind I was thinking I don't I don't know that I know this God that I'm telling this teenage girl about what a moment said a moment how did you connect that and then what did you do with I think it probably happened a few times before I started to go this is dangerous I am spreading the gospel that in my own private life behind closed doors doesn't feel real the Bible is reading to me like a history book this is a problem now is that the description of burnout I think you're talking about is the thing edge indicator that you're kind of yeah and I think maybe even more than burnout it could be just a description of dryness on the inside that the Bible doesn't read to us like a love letter that it reads more like a text you know a history text. That our dialogue with God becomes more asking him for things than talking about the realities of our heart yes that we want to spend what I mean now I didn't have a phone men because that was you know 15 years ago I had a phone but not like we have access to a phone now now it would be when I'm picking up my phone to scroll through social media several times in a day when I have white space that's kind of an indicator what's going on that I don't actually want to talk to God or if when something hard happens in my life and I find myself right away scrolling social media yeah to me that's the indicator some in my heart isn't really seeing him as tender towards me because if I saw him as tender I want to talk to him right now what you're describing is a symptom exact right that phone is a symptom and the core problem is you're not choosing to connect with God Exactly that's the issue and I think there's great things that we can put in place now where we say let's only use our phone at these times but the reality is even those measures don't address the inner issue which is often times we don't really believe the God of His word Yeah that's a good starting spot that is that kind of where you started in that moment you felt burned you were disconnected Was that what happened for you it was and it was semi unintentional at what I actually did need to take a break from full time ministry my husband and I stepped back and I started working at a boutique that sold French and Italian pottery there were maybe like 5 people who went into that boutique OK he said you had lung a lot of just to pray in the latter frédérique so I just had white space sort of given to me and so I started bringing my Bible to work and when I was being unproductive not advancing the kingdom of God asking God to see his eyes on me there was what was transformative How did he reveal Himself to you in that you know we talk in those terms and sometimes people struggle with that tangible God showed me this yeah so how do you call it hidden moments how did God fill those hidden moments for you and reveal Himself to you. I think for me and initially it was I started looking at the emotions of God's heart in scripture so I would read a verse like $1819.00 he delivered me because he delighted in me with I is that when most of the time I don't feel like he's delighting in me unless I'm productive for so many people feel that way Oh I mean and we don't even realize we feel it at the end of the day how many of us feel really great when we've accomplished our task lists Well what if we haven't How does God say yes we haven't even created the task list. And it's so true and I hope I hope if you're in that spot my goodness I hope this is minister into you Sarah has such wisdom and she's put this in her book and seen the gift of being hidden in a world that loves to be noticed and Sara let me go to that subtitle where you're talking about that universal craving to be seen I mean most human beings not everyone some interests would say I've never had that desire. But you know there is that desire to be seen by God Yes Yeah and how do you open up to God truly I mean there are people right now we're hiding things oh all we don't want to open up to God Maybe because of the shame Yeah how do we truly open our hearts to God I think for me it has been a paradigm shift in seeing that he wants to engage with me and conversation in the middle of my day so if I can think a little bit different even just tomorrow I wake up and go he wants to talk to me at 3 o'clock in the afternoon just introduce that thought then 3 o'clock comes and I'm changing a laundry and I go he wants to talk to me someone already 915 my frame was not hidden from you God when I was made in secret I mean someone 39 unpacks that his eyes are always on us every part of the day so introducing the thought into my day that he wants to talk to me yeah maybe even just that simple thing then today I can add a 2 minute conversation that isn't me just recalling a conversation. Or stressing over the things that I need to do or worrying about a kid but saying for this 2 minutes God I'm actually just going to change the laundry and say it's been a hard day I like the vision of that the idea of it but the practicality seems unattainable I like that I appreciate that you said that I think for me the starting place has often been taking my raw emotion to God and that feels a little less poetic and a little more real like I am walking up the stairs carrying a load of laundry looking at the things that are in my hands going we just washed these jeans yesterday and figuring out my kid's got the system down she puts the clothes right back in the laundry and then voting in a living and I'm grumpy and I'm going up the stairs going I cannot believe I'm doing this every day and no one sees it I'm feeling this and I know I could feel it Sara I got a confession I did that something. I put my clothes in the dirty clothes it's easier maybe I'm sorry that when my Has spend. Close because he doesn't want to put them away and so then for me it's right there going God actually wants to have that thought like that not even I need to stop complaining which I think we can tend to placate ourselves with that but instead God wants to hear that from me so I go GA it today feels really hard you know but your word tells me that you search me and you know me you know this moment right now you know how hard this feels you're near to me how does a person talk to God I mean they may see themselves as Christian I just want to make sure we're covering all the bases Yeah but they're so inundated with stuff in the list and all that maybe they've even lost or never discovered how to really have a conversation with God yeah I start there that's a great question I tend to think of it in terms of the closest relationship in my life the person I feel the safest with well God is thousands of times safer than that person so the person I feel the safest with and one of our best conversations where I feel really seen and really known and I. Also very much myself got invites that that's a starting point for me for me it's my husband I know that's not the case for everybody who's married or for people who aren't married you can think of your best friend right that's my inroad but then I also think you know we tend to see it in such broad strokes like I need to make this major shift in my life and introduce a new thing that is talking to God when really I think our life is one in the minutes so what if there was one more minute today that you talked to God just one I like that I like that challenge yeah you have a beautiful story about your daughter Hope and her performance at a dance recital I can translate this being a father of 2 boys I mean it's the baseball practice yeah something like that tell that story and what it meant to you and what it meant to your daughter when she was recently we had recently adopted her from Uganda and she was in a ballet class and she is by nature just very graceful and she's a dancer but soon into the ballet performance she started to get a few steps behind and then a few more steps behind and she's new enough to ballet and mechanical enough that she couldn't quite catch up so she was still doing the routine just 567 steps behind and I'm watching her and thinking from all the different angles knowing her teacher might be a little frustrated right now because it's a little bit distracting for the rest of the students I'm thinking the other parents are going to hope it's not necessarily going to be the one who is going to challenge their daughter for the role next year I mean there's lots of things that people in the audience are thinking and I'm looking at her going there is so much story behind this kid who a year ago was on the streets of Uganda and she was dancing on stage in a ballet leotard and it was so beautiful to me and then in that moment I went but to guide she's fire she's wonder she's beauty I mean I see one sliver of her life and he looks at her and sees the whole of it he sees who she's going to become He sees hope at 50 he sees hope which she was born and as I watch that I went that's how he is with me to. Let me ask you this when you share that story in this way why do we have such a performance orientation about gods Yeah you know I think we transpose on God our experience in the world and this to me is the crux of it I feel like my journey in finding God's eyes on me when no one was looking and no one was applauding the times or really frustrating because I wanted someone to cheer me on and I didn't feel like that person was there only God was there that for me was I in raveling years layers of understanding of God that did not line up with who he really is and His Word tells a different story but I think so many times we approach his word already having half the story made up in our mind well instead of going nope I'm going to come here and actually open the Bible which is this is a prayer I pray pray every week and say I barely know you God I have been a believer for 25 years I barely know you that's quite a confession but it's honest it's real and we really do barely know I'm when I became a believer at 15 I carried with me 15 years of understanding about a guy that wasn't necessarily accurate this is focus on the family and Syrah Hager T. Is our guest today we're so glad you joined us we have her book Unseen at our website you can get a CD and download our conversation as well that's focus on the Family dot com slash radio and I love how you're framing all this serum wondering about Nate your husband what's his approach to these concerts that you're sharing with us because there are a lot of guys that are like yeah you must be very good and I heard a lot of heart to God you know transparency that not so much things that how does that problem but yes I he's actually considering writing the male version of this book so what does that look like well for him I mean not just smashing but he thinner but I think that's actually really really hard. For him it doesn't it maybe looks a little less poetic but you know just a simple practice for him has been every time he takes us. If a coffee or gets a cup of coffee I don't know if it's takes a sip or pours a cup I actually don't monitor how much coffee drinks in a day that's very good thing but kind of having that in place that he clears the cash so to speak of what's been in his mind and his heart and just has a quick dialogue with God How do you see me right now what do you think about me now it's very different for a male because I think in some ways the heart language is not as natural and that's how God made us right but I think on the other hand man I feel like watching him he needs to know just as much as I do he's a C.E.O. Of his company he needs to know that when things are right now they're in the middle of deploying a new project and he's going is this going to overwhelm my team are we going have the finances to do it and his private conversation with God is whether this fails or succeeds God How Do You See Me Now that's not a sorcerer I don't want to go too far down this road but it's not a how might do in coach question is not an ordinary Joe Yeah no it's not I mean for him it's been the same in some ways the same journey I think Nate often says there I feel that way more than you so I got on this journey a little earlier. He just you know for him it is the same thing as looking at the Word of God and going who are you as a father what does a tender father look like to a 40 year old man and how do I talk to you not so much how I do it because he can do the how I do and you know he can do that well I've got these numbers in the bank and I've got this many employees and he can do that but the actual OK when this looks like it's failing which is actually kind of been the entry point for his conversation with God when something feels like it's failing how do you see me. Well that's a big question and from me and I think even more sort of investment strikes right at the core of our identity Yeah because we are wrapped up in our success right her being something and that beautiful parts that me provides for a family of 6 like he's got a weight on his shoulders sir in that regard when for the folks that may be just joining us they missed the top of the program we touched on some of this but we beyond just facing. That spiritual burnout that we talked about that you faced the challenges of infertility you touched on that. I think also the death your father happened yet all in the same time he then adopted and I think 4 of your children are adopted because of that I would imagine that infertility in your husband started moving that direction that is a lot right there it for someone listening saying oh yeah she's got all together. But that that really provides the heart for you that you have gone through the hard stuff yet your husband describes some of that emotion in there and taking that rawness to God saying god why I love you why did I not have children the same way all my friends were having children those remains I'm so glad you brought that up I mean this is not something that's just a discipline that I've applied this has come from a decade of really hard life where the things that I hope for the things that I dreamed the plans that my husband and I had pretty much in every way they fell apart and multiple times when we thought this could not get any worse the next day something terrible happened I mean we really felt like we were in a crucible for about a decade and it was out of that time where I kept going everything I desire is failing right now everything I want from my life feels like it's sand in my hands I have it for a 2nd and then it's gone and it was in that time that I really started to feel the invitation of God to find out who he really was to the broken hearted and that finding him as near to the broken 1st seeing myself as broken. Going my life is not working like I thought I am not producing like I thought I'm not feeling the success of being a Christian in this world so who are you to me that is a profound question I think one of the biggest mistakes we make and we make it often here in the US and I think Western civilization particularly because we're so fixated on the X. Turn will achieve Ment's Yes that it blinds us to our internal failures those things inside us that are not healthy let me put it this way when you look at suffering course the Word of God says suffering leads to in durance which leads to character which leads to hope but we as Christians run from suffering and I was going to ask you in that 10 years that you're having infertility issues in your father passed away and all these other really hard things going on in your life. You learned so much in those moments would you exchange them for something easier you know I wouldn't tell you a story the morning that we so we actually had a heart for adoption long before we walked down the road or even knew that we would struggle with infertility so we really wanted to adopt post adoption still had been 13 years and we hadn't conceived a biological child the morning that I found out that I was pregnant when I told my husband his very 1st words and this was not like a theological statement this was just his guttural response was as the favor of God lifted from our lives we had found so much fruit in pain and honestly both of us could say we fell in love with God when the outside parts of our life weren't working that it felt almost like when our circumstances shift and they did they shifted when they shifted we went Who are you in a new place because we found you and suffering and you were so close I mean I at times felt like you were so close that I could feel your breath on my neck guide your that near to me when I feel like my world is falling apart so yes I would look back and go thank you God for that I would not change what we had Yeah and there's one of the nuggets out of the program and if you're in that spot again and we're here for you I want to get some practical points right at the end of the program here you invite people to grow in wonder and friendship to God and I love that description what does it look like that a practical level how do you grow in wonder with God for me is this look like slowing down a little bit and not slowing down in large chunks I still think of life in minutes so if I you know part of my run in the morning I listen to a podcast usually what if I just turn off my phone for 10 minutes you kill me you have enough discipline to run OK part it's over now actually it's if I somehow every day I get it straight my. Advice is practical and ignore the run Think about your my uncle walk to the mailbox OK there and I'm that walk to the mailbox. I can be listening to something on my phone or running over a task list in my mind or I can go on this walk to the mailbox I just want to see what you have outside from a guy you know just like our kids right our kids have wonder they don't have to practice it God that is God inviting us to approach him like a little child if turning off the music in the car line and going what's in the sky for me today right like what do you hear the heavens declare the glory of God What do you have for me I love that I try to do that with my boys since they're very little look at the sky look at the clouds look at what the Lord painted for us today on the sunrise on the way to school it is it's a simple thing to do but it's seed in their heart too yeah that got us thinking about that and painted this picture for them today you share that your family takes a weekly sabbath and it's hard for you to do as that high achiever but why is it so difficult especially now that you've got a better handle on God's desire for you to be resting in Him I think any of us who turn off our phone or turn off at don't turn off my phone for the whole Sabbath but any of us who don't do something for an hour of our life can attest to what it feels like to not be productive and so every week there I feel some of this angsty of like who am I when I'm not I've got nothing to show for it but a stack of books that I'm reading Sabbath for me does to some degree feel like a discipline because I really want to put myself in the position of going guide your word tells me that I think you like me when I'm not producing for you and that should hit just about every person because again I think we're so geared that way Sarah man thank you for the beautiful reminder today that God sees us even in our Monday and laundry duties and the unimpressive moments of our lives in a minute I want to ask you the last question and get your opinion on something and will disk will quickly say you can get a copy of the book Unseen and a CD or download of our conversation with Sarah at Focus on the Family dot com slash radio or call us if you'd prefer if your phone is on. And 2326459 when you get in touch donate generously to support the work of focus on the family please and when you do so today with your gift of any amount will say thank you by sending a copy of Syria's great book to you it's our way of saying thank you for being part of the support team here at Focus on the family Sorry here's the question as we close speak to that person who wants to have the kind of friendship and closeness with God that you've described but they pray and they don't feel like they hear anything they don't feel that closeness they're back at the beginning of your journey where you are feeling almost like those feelings of being FAKE Yeah so what do you say that person right now what can they do I think I'd say 2 things one give yourself permission to get a little more honest with God It's OK to be angry OK to be grumpy he actually welcomes that kind of dialogue maybe even as your starting point we don't need to become put all Christian Knees on this to make ourselves feel like he's really enjoying US The 2nd thing I would say is the Psalms are a great place to start I always say the Psalms are like the lanes for our emotions and so when I have been really stuck not knowing what he thinks about me what I feel about him I feel like the Psalmist have given me a language when I don't have it right I like that because if you think of the Lord's heart for David and of course David Wright is the Psalms That's a great place to go to David's heart for and David right I mean one of the most powerful Psalms was written after like her endless then so take your big messy heart. That's right David that's what he wants to say great to have you with us thank you so much encourage you to get a copy of this conversation on CD or a free download and of course Sarah Haggerty's great book Unseen the gift of being hidden in a world that loves to be noticed you can tell we enjoyed the conversation these are great resources call right now 802326459 or stop by our website focus on the Family dot com slash radio. Have a great weekend and be sure to join us on Monday when we hear how to avoid using shame in your parenting shame is a great short term no one wants to feel. Because you know if we need to get them studying shaming them is a great way to motivate. Healthy. Because shame ultimately D. Motivates us. That's next time on focus on the family and thanks for listening when you get in touch please let us know you listen on. Where you hear the life I'm John Fuller behalf of Jim Daly in the entire team join us next as we once more help you and your family thriving. Last hope for your marriage there's a place where you can find it again and focus on the family's hope or story a marriage intensive experience call 866-875-2915 I hope restored dot com That's hope restored dot com The preceding program was furnished by Focus on the family up next it's a new beginning with Pastor Greg Laurie furnished by Harvest Ministries a local Christian radio K J O L What's your spiritual temperature right now I see Here now is the story of 2 people leaving Jerusalem after the death of Jesus. Says they're utterly devastated and they're engaged in an animated conversation in a stranger joins them so let's read about it Luke 24 starting a verse 13 and by the way I'm reading from the New Living Translation That same day 2 of Jesus' followers were walking along a to the village of M A S 7 miles out of Jerusalem as they want to long they were talking about everything did it happen suddenly Jesus Himself came along and join them and began walking beside them but they didn't know who he was because God kept them from recognizing him he seemed to be a deep discussion about something Jesus said what are you so concerned about they stopped short sad this written across their faces then one of the name Cleo Opus replied You must be the only person in Jerusalem wasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days what things Jesus asked the things that happened to Jesus the man from Nazareth the said he was a mighty prophet who did wonderful miracles He was a mighty teacher highly regarded by both God and all the people but our leading priests another religious leaders arrested him handed them over to be condemned to death and they crucified Him We thought we had thought he was the Messiah who'd come to rescue as you know this that's past tense we have thought so here's what Jesus did to help them look at verse 25 Jesus said to them You are such foolish people. You find it so hard to believe all the prophets wrote in this Scriptures wasn't it clearly predicted by the prophets at the Messiah would have to suffer all these things we for entering his time of glory and then Jesus quoted passages in the writings of Moses and all the prophets explaining what the Scriptures said about himself and now when their journey comes to a close look at verse $32.00 did not our heart burn within us well he talked with us on the road while he opened the Scriptures to us let me ask you a question what's your spiritual temperature right now you know if you're not feeling so well and you go to see your doctor what's one of the 1st thing dead he does build asked you how your appetite is and he might take your temperature why because your temperature is an indicator of the state of your health so here's my question for you right now what is your spiritual temperature by the way there's 3 choices given to us in the Bible your spiritual temperature is either icy cold or miserably lukewarm or burning hot. There's a burning hot guy. And all the people who didn't apply your the cold wind. Getting too late and. Those of you that have clap your the lukewarm ones. So seriously what is what does this all mean. First of all there's a cold hard Matthew $2412.00 says because wicked This will abound the love of many will grow cold to have a cold heart is basically to have a heart like stone This would describe your basic nonbeliever who has no interest in the things of God So you say hey you know what you want to come to church of thing no. Really know come on come to church now haven't you heard of or wonder what the meaning of life is and what happens in the afterlife but not really do you care about your solo not so much that they just they don't care they have a cold heart number 2 miserably lukewarm Now this is interesting and believe it or not it's actually more offensive to Jesus an icy cold would seem surprising but to the lukewarm church of Laodicea remember he says a revelation 315 I know your works you're neither cold nor hot How I wish you were cold or hot so because you are lukewarm and the they're cold or hot I will spew you out of my mouth that's King James spew you the real word as vomit. SPEWS a very nice word you know if you're feeling sick you might say he is me out I need to his spew right now. But the word is vomit regurgitate throw up it's no fun is it I fight it I don't get sick very often but if I'm nosey it is of the last thing I want to do is throw up and whatever I ate I'm I'm going too far with this but I'm just going to finish this and stop whatever and I never want to eat that again right on the other hand dogs like to eat their vomit don't they. Bugs I need a hot meal good OK I'm done I'm done I'm sorry how many think I went too far you think I want to write how many of you think it was just write you like this. Come and keep going with this no I'm not. I'm just making the light of it but but really it's a horrible thing so let's try to understand what Jesus is saying because it's pretty radical be like if you meet a nice meal for someone and they didn't and you said how did you like what I cooked for you and they said it made me want to throw up Mo does that mean you didn't like it yeah that's what I meant. So this is strong language from Jesus isn't it so here's what Jesus is saying lukewarm this makes me want to throw up so OK oh that's a good wood does this mean what is lukewarmness the lukewarm person in contrast to the cold hearted person is a person that may claim to believe because the lukewarm people Jesus is addressing are actually a part of the Church of Layo to see it they have no passion they have no enthusiasm they have no urgency they have no compassion lukewarm this is a self satisfied condition where the person who is lukewarm thinks they have it all and they know it all because Jesus said You say you're rich an increase of goods and you have need of nothing and Jesus says you're poor and miserable and blind and naked the lukewarm person this oh I've heard that oh you know that all I've been going to church my whole life I've heard all those things and here's the problem with lukewarmness is a lot of times the lukewarm person doesn't know they're lukewarm and in some ways it's better to be icy cold then to be lukewarm So here's a person right now in a bar they're drunk and they might be closer to getting right with God than a person sitting in church right now is that now you've lost me Cal tell you why that cold hearted person in the bar they might be seeing the emptiness of their life and they might be thinking I'm going to get right with God and maybe they will but the person sitting in church with their arms folded who thinks they know it all and they're hard to the things that God are actually getting to a place of greater hardness less than the greatest and Nakia lation against the gospel is the gospel heard but not heeded. The way you become immune to the bite of a deadly steak is you inject a small bit of the venom in the your system to strengthen your resistance the way you develop or resistance to a strain of flu if you inject a little bit of it to develop your resistance the best way to become resistant to the Word of God is have enough we have think you know more than you really know. So don't ever let your heart grow lukewarm because you don't want Jesus to say all throw you up in the falling category is boiling hot that's the way we want to be. Pastor Greg Laurie the 2nd half of his message in just a moment. Beneath the gnarled all of trees of the garden of his seminal I can remember a time that we had a worship service and we open up the word of God and we read the story of Jesus swelling is that word great drops of blood as he contemplated the wars of Calvary There's nothing like being in the Holy Land where the events of the Bible actually happen you're standing where Jesus stood and you can picture him speaking to His disciples we're getting a feel of what it would have been like we're getting a sense of everything from the temperature to the feel of the breeze to the sound of the birds you get a steal you get a sense of what it was like to be with Jesus and hear those words yourself as though you yourself were one of the disciples sitting at his feet and trying to grasp what was about to happen. Join Pastor Greg Mowry in the Holy Land April 30th to May 10th the next year reserved those dates on your calendar and get the details in Israel top harvest or visit dozens of biblical sites including the garden of get some and this is one of the many experiences you will have as you join this road trip to is or. Will today Pastor Greg bases our study in Luke 24 where Jesus encourages a couple of downhearted disciples walking along the road let's continue look at a verse 28 by the time they were nearing M A S at the end of their journey underline this phrase. Jesus acted is if he was going further so they begged him to stay the night with him and it was getting late so we went home with them and they sat down to eat he took a small loaf of bread as God's blessing on it broke it and gave it to them and suddenly their eyes were open and they recognised him and at that moment he disappeared and they said one to another Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road while he opened the Scriptures to us and within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem so they're hard to reignited these who had lost hope found hope again their hearts were burning within them and what did they do when their hearts are reignited verse $33.00 within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem where they found the 11 gathered together and then that were with them back to the cross back to fellowship with other believers back to the Lord when you're really walking with Jesus you can't wait to be in fellowship with fellow believers so instead of isolating yourself from believers they said we got to get back with the believers again we need to get back to where the cross was we need to get back to the place we've strayed from one final movement of the story and I had to underline it 1st 28 Jesus acted as if he were going further So Jesus is saying the alkie Guys good to see by now you know one way where he gone I'm leavin I'm out here no no no you're not going anywhere we want to be with you more come and spend time with us in fact a saying come to where we are and I love verse $28.00 he went home with them you know there's an interesting statement that Paul makes in the book of peace since to the believers or he says My prayer is that Christ would do well in your heart. Why would you pray that Christ had while in the heart of someone is already a Christian does not Christ dwell in the heart of every believer as he does because when you become a Christian Christ takes residence in your heart for as many as received Him He gave them the power to become sons of God so why would Paul say my prayers that Christ would do all in your hearts because the word well is a compound word which basically means to live in a house but WANT TO prefix meaning down is added it comes to mean to settle down to be at home so here is what Paul is saying My prayer for you is that Christ would settle down and be at home in your heart interest and the difference is Jesus at home in your heart you know if you walked into your houses shoes your houses in those straight he walked into your actual house Jesus Christ is there anything you'd want to hide from him I mean certainly would want to clean up you know but oh no you don't let them see my video collection in the I don't want to look into my websites and I don't want to look at my history and I don't don't lord don't look over here don't go over here in the don't get that thing I am on the wall really you should have a house that would welcome Jesus and he should have a heart that would do the same and I think verse some of us he's not settle down in that home in our hearts because we want to compartmentalize him and say you know what Jesus I'll tell you what it's great having you here and here's your little room over here just in your little room and on Sundays we'll hang out a little bit and used in this room the rest of the week and I've got my business I've got my family and I've got the fun things I do and I've got my vices and I've got this and I've got my money and this is all my stuff a case that I messed with this is my stuff there's your little room stay in your little room none of that song what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian means you give Christ the master key to every door to every key Lord use Come on right through here you don't like some you change it you don't want some of the New Year you throw it out you want to add something new added I want you to be at home and in control of every part of my life thank you listen to this in closing if you invite Jesus in do your home one day he will welcome you into his and when I say home I mean your heart now if you alone by Jesus in the your life one day he'll welcome you to heaven where did Jesus say N. My Father's house are many mansions or dwelling places if I were not so I would have told you if I go I will come again and receive you one to myself there were I am you may be also so let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid he has a home waiting for you in heaven but until the day let's make sure he's at home in our heart so here's my question for you is Jesus living inside of you right now. And if you're not sure he's there I would suggest you he probably isn't I think of God Almighty has taken residence in your heart you don't know what and if you don't know it maybe he hasn't but he wants to he stands at the door of your life and he knocks and he says if you'll hear his voice and open the door he'll come in all you can open the door of your life so to speak is the door knob of your life is on the inside you have to open it you have to invite him and God is ready to forgive you of all of your sin Jesus died on that cross for you 2000 years ago he paid the price for all of your sins on that cross and then he rose again from the dead and now he's ready to commend your life and if you have never asked him to come in why don't you do that as we close in prayer so I'm going to give you an opportunity to have your sin forgiven I'm going to give you an opportunity to have Christ come and live inside of you I'll give you an opportunity to have hope in your life maybe you have no hope you're feeling down you're feeling scared some of you even felt suicidal. You don't have to live that way you can have hope in a relationship with God So respond now as we pray together let's up our heads Father thank you for your word to us and I pray now for everyone that this here if they don't know you yet help them to see their need for you and help them to come to you and believe we would ask right. In Jesus name I pray. And that. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer about inviting the Lord into our lives if you'd like to do that Pastor Greg will help you with that in just a moment so please stay tuned. But as Pastor great wraps up this presentation you can get a permanent copy of the insights it's an extended length study called the greatest sermon ever preached just mention that title when you call 188213301808213300 or order online at harvest dot org. You know festering There's a pizza place near my house and inside they play music with all recognize but they played knockoffs you know it's a song by the Eagles but it's someone trying to sound like the Eagles Yeah you know it's imitations of the hits and I feel a little cheated you know much patients are never as good as the real thing and we're making available a book that exposes the imitations the world offers and highlights the real promises of God is not right that's right and the author of that book is with us in studio right now his name is Max Lucado you've written a brand new book called unshakeable hope subtitled building our lives on the promises of God This is a book that's going to really impact P. . Will because it's really chock full of promises and hope hope is so important you know it seems if you lose hope you lose everything when you say I agree and you know this the suicide rate in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions and so there's much conversation these days about what is the cause of this and I know there's no simple answer to that question but it has to have something to do with hope because to to lose hope is to lose really the reason to take the next breath told to lose reason to get up tomorrow morning 3 again I don't want to oversimplify what must be a very complex question but if we can find hope then what we have found is reason to keep living Yeah you know the Bible tells us that actually tribulation produces hope and that seems contradictory you'd would think hope would come from living the carefree perfect life but the reality is I have found that hope often grows in the garden of adversity and when our son went to be with the Lord 10 years ago it was a very difficult time but my hope grew stronger in stronger with each week with each month and I'd tell you what Max I survived on the promises of God not to get to the next week or the next day but sometimes to get to the next hour laying hold of those promises sometimes quoting them to myself out loud reminding myself of what the Bible says and I can't emphasize enough how vital that was to this grieving process that still continues on but certainly it was out an epic level in the immediate aftermath of our son going to be with the Lord and in you've written this incredible book called unshakable hope building our lives on the promises of God and I think people need to get these in their minds and in their heart. It's in this by the way as our gift to you this month here at harvest for your gift of any size will only offer you the finest resources from really outstanding individuals that that share these trees the 1000 that will enrich our lives so deeply so I encourage you to order your copy and Max thank you for being with us in studio today it's my joy let us send Max's new book your way as Pastor Greg said is being sent to thank you for your investment in our ministry you can decide the amount but your generosity is what helps these daily studies to come your way each day here on the station and today is the last day we'll be mentioning this resource Surat us for your own copy of unshakable hope our address is a new beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 9 to 514 or call us at 180-821-3300 again 180-821-3300 or go online to harvest dot org And again the book is unshakable hope by I'm actually Kato Well Pastor Greg you pointed out the importance of asking Jesus to forgive our sins a few moments ago could you help those who want to do that very thing right now yeah you know the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ stands at the door of our life and he knocks and if any man will hear is voice and open the door he will come in maybe as you've heard me speak today well you've heard another voice speaking to you it's a voice of God and you realize you need Christ in your life you need your sin forgiven you want the assurance that you will go to heaven when you die well here's what you need to do you need to pray and I would like to lead you in a prayer right now where you will be seeing the Jesus Lord come in the my life I choose to follow you so let's pray Lord Jesus I know that I'm a sinner but I think you for dying on the cross for my. Sin I turn from that sin now and I put my faith in you be my Lord my Savior and my God my friend I choose to follow you Jesus from this moment forward Thank you for loving me and calling me and accepting me in Jesus name I pray Amen. Listen if you just pray the prayer one shouldn't go on the authority of scripture that Christ himself has come into your life the Bible says these things we write to you the believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life if you just prayed that prayer and minute you can know today you have eternal life EMEA be the 1st to see the you welcome to the family of God and we want to help you grow as a believer so let us send you our new believers growth packet we'll send it free of charge if you prayed with Pastor Greg today just write a new beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 9 to 514 or Colace at 180-821-3300 that's 180-821-3300 or requested on line at Radio dot harvest dot org Just click on did you pray with Pastor Greg next time we travel with Pastor Greg to a meeting of several 100 pastors at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library his message to his fellow clergy America this is your wake up call a moving presentation coming next time. Pastor Greg Laurie is furnished by Harvest Ministries on K J Oh wow heard live on the Internet at Kid A.O.L. Dot au R G. One that's our News I'm Keith figures in Washington the United States and Canada have yet to reach a new trade agreement but negotiations will continue next week U.S. Trade representative Robert light hisor says President Trump has notified Congress that he plans to sign a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada if it's willing in 90 days trade talks with Canada that were being held in Washington broke up Friday afternoon with no specific agreement Canada's top trade envoy said the 2 sides made. Good progress but there's still work to be done administration officials say U.S. Canada talks will resume on Wednesday White House correspondent Greg clogs that official Washington will turn out for a final memorial service for John McCain at the National Cathedral on Saturday but the Arizona senator his best friend in the Senate Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has already shared his thoughts on the Senate floor it is going to be a. Lonely journey for me for a while and going to need your help and the void to be filled by John's passing is more accurate Graham asked his colleagues for their personal help in the days ahead don't look to me to replace this. Look to me to remember what he was all about and try to follow in his footsteps if you want to help me be more like John McCain. That's the senior senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham in the final part of our series remembering John McCain Stevie Wonder wild with his harmonic skills and then brought the remaining mourners at a wreath of Franklin's lengthy funeral to their feet with a moving version of. The choir Franklin's family preachers and remaining guests wait as Wonder play the classic tune in honor of his old friend on Wall Street the Dow down by 22 points the NASDAQ up 21 the S. And P. Advanced a fraction This is S. Are a news. Franklin Graham talks about S.T.D. The popular evangelist is offering thoughts on a new C.D.C. Report that came out this week indicating that sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in the U.S. In a Facebook post Graham says quote I believe what America has is a moral crisis and a spiritual crisis and it manifests itself in many ways including this public health crisis sin always has a cost the government says nearly $2300000.00 people suffer from his T.B.'s list here beating the record set in 2016 Michael Harrington a star in news federal officials may sue a Texas town over its decision to halt the religious associations planned to build a Muslim cemetery the Justice Department is investigating whether Farmersville violated a law designated to stop us apologies from discriminating against religious groups in land use decisions Meanwhile the farmers Bill city council unanimously voted this week to enter negotiations to reach a settlement that would allow the cemetery to proceed and avoid a lawsuit this is as I write news. South Korea's president will send a special delegation to North Korea next week for talks on a nuclear standoff as well as seeking movement on the standoff the South Koreans will want to fine tune details for the Premier's meeting the North Kim Jong un and South Korean president moon giant a set to meet next month in Poland young for that summit details for that summit including exactly what will happen haven't been disclosed yet the diplomatic activity comes amid growing worries over the slow pace of getting the Korea to end its nuclear program following President a lot from singable summits with North Korea's leader in June I'm Charles to live as the only Oregon hospital to offer heart transplants as ending its program and definitely just days after announcing it would suspend the program for 14 days to regroup Oregon Health and Science University has lost all 4 of the doctors on the transplant team and can no longer perform the operations or provide post-operative care the Portland Hospital hopes to restart the program soon more details that S R A News dot com I'm Keith Peters in washing What's the key to growing spiritually what should you do if you don't see spiritual fruit in your life and if you ask the Lord if you were his friend what would he say consider those questions with John MacArthur this week as he looks at what it means to be abiding in price here on Grace to you we keep sending at $730.00 local Christian radio teaching. This is noncommercial and listener supported K J O L Grand Junction K J O L F M Montrose N.K.J.V. . Local Christian radio for the western slope. Time 7 o'clock and that means evening phrase for a Friday and it's the last day of August as we're winding down within a few hours a month looking the calendar over to September already Can you believe that we've got. I'll have just a bunch of songs to share with you up until late and it starts with the urban rescue song of my father from cage where you hear the evening praise and say. I hear. He's.