Navigating Life's Seasons: Faithfulness, Community, and Hope

1. "And if you live in Northeast Ohio or this part of the country, you really feel that. Because sometimes life can be like spring. It's full of hope. Hope for what's ahead. And sometimes life is like summer. It's full of sunshine and flowers and butterflies. But that only lasts a little bit, right? It's just a little bit of time. The sunshine and the flowers and the butterflies. But sometimes life is like fall. The pace slows down. And it's full of routine. And it's maybe a little relaxing and cold and mild and time for chili and soup and all that good stuff. But sometimes it's like winter, right? Because life can be dark." [01:35] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "You've benefited. You've been in this season before where day after day you're showing up, you're putting the work in, and you don't know what the results are going to be. You're wondering if it's working. You're wondering if what you're doing is going to pay off. You're wondering, are they going to grow? Are they going to get it? Are you making a difference? On and on and on, over and over and over and over again. You've been here before. And this is not an easy season. Why? Because the outcome is in question. We don't know how things are going to turn out. Paul doesn't know how things are going to turn out. You don't know how things are going to turn out as you're parenting these kids or coaching these kids." [08:41] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Public. Consistent. Predictable. Committed. Ministry. Now it doesn't say all the people were converted. It says all the people heard it. Because Paul can't change who's controlling him. He can't change who's controlling him. He can't change who's changed by the message. He can't control that. What he can control is the work that he puts in. The effort that he gives. The commitment that he has. The consistent, public, predictable, committed work." [10:03] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Presence and faithfulness you put in during the slow or the mundane or the mediocre or the boring parts of your journey are the building blocks of fruitfulness. What you are doing now will have a critical impact on your future. What you are doing now matters. And we see this in Paul's life. It was the showing up every day, the public, consistent, predictable, committed work of faithfulness to Jesus that results in the outpouring of God's blessing and the season of effectiveness in Paul's ministry." [25:19] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "What I am saying is that faithfulness, dedication, work, perseverance, and the love you put in through the mundane parts of your life can lead you to seasons of great joy, even in your poverty, even in your illness, even when your kids are rebellious and making bad choices. Put the work in. Put the work in. That's what Paul did. Paul put the work in and he experienced a season of success. But here's the thing. Guess what comes up next? Paul hadn't even been shipwrecked yet. And that happens three times. Okay, so this season of success, guess what's coming next?" [27:21] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "So when we believe that our faithfulness will result in riches and money and houses and cars, I don't know what gospel that we're thinking about because it ain't this one. It ain't this one. You may work hard and always be poor. You may exercise this, and always have bad genetics. You may do all the right things and still have kids who go their own way. What I am saying is that faithfulness, dedication, work, perseverance, and the love you put in through the mundane parts of your life can lead you to seasons of great joy, even in your poverty, even in your illness, even when your kids are rebellious and making bad choices." [26:44] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "Remembered experience is when we get a piece of paper and a pen. Does anybody still use a piece of paper and a pen? Use your, whatever it is, right? And you go through the list. You remember in the past all the things that you've done in the past, that God has done. This is very helpful. And maybe it's three things, three things. You say, you know, I remember when I was struggling or I was suffering or I didn't know and here's how God provided. And maybe you got three. Maybe you got 10. Maybe you got one. Write it down. And trust that God will be faithful and deliver again. Trust that God will do the same thing he did before and show up in your need." [39:10] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "I can look back and I can say, God, I've seen what you have done. I have experienced what you have done. And I got a list. It's not one, it's not two, it's not three, it's not 10. It's right here. And it goes on and it goes on and it goes on and on and on and on and on and on. I'm gonna work I'm gonna show up. And you're gonna work and you're gonna show up and you're gonna put the effort in. No one's giving up. Not a chance. Because I expect, I have the confidence, I have the anticipation, God, that you will do exactly what you have done before. You're gonna do the same thing. And what have you done? You have provided. You have kept your promises. You have saved and delivered and healed and restored." [46:26] (70 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "Now, here's what I want to say in the sight of God. Jesus, you are here in all seasons. But guess what? So am I. I'm gonna walk. I'm gonna walk right with you, knowing that you're carrying me the whole way. And so I'm gonna walk into the struggle, right? We're gonna cause some good trouble. I'm gonna walk into the struggle. Jesus, I'm gonna stand firm in the fight. I'm ready to press. And I'm ready to move. And I'm ready to work day after day after day. I'm coming in after work. I'm working overtime. I'm gonna keep moving and pushing and changing and shaping. And God, I'm ready to pour it all out. You take me, and you fill me, and I'm gonna pour it right back out, because you're gonna keep filling. You see, Jesus says, I'm gonna make your cup overflow. You know what that means? It means we pour, and it keeps filling. And we pour out, and it keeps filling more and more and more. I'm ready to pour it out, God, because I know you're about to do something. You're gonna do something." [49:22] (91 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "And because of this, because I can look back and I can see what God has already done, I can hope for the future. Knowing he's always been faithful and he will continue to be faithful and he will continue to be faithful. And he will continue to provide. I told you a few weeks ago about our church. Not the church you see now, but the church that you will see. And I talked about thriving men's ministry and thriving women's ministry and a youth group that's bursting through the seams and a young adults group and mission trips and missionary support and thriving multi-ethnic community and music that impacts the world. I talked about a church that's going through the seams, a church that provides for the poor and the marginalized with radical generosity. I said this is gonna be a church that baptizes 100 people every year. And let's say 200. 200 every single year. A church that stands for peace and unity when all the world wants to fight. We're gonna stand for peace." [44:55] (74 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)