[FS] Praise and Testimony Sunday 2025

The Bible is a great book, isn't it? Can I hear it, man? The Bible is a great book, right? Indeed it is. It's a great book. But really what I mean by that today is that it knows what's best for you, the Bible does. It really does. And so in the Bible it tells us at least 100 times, some people count about 150 times, that we are actually commanded to give thanks, to praise God, to give thanks, to be of a grateful heart. We're commanded to do this. We're commanded to do this because God knows it is for our own good that we do. [00:22:16] (39 seconds)  #BibleKnowsBest

And so again, like I said, before the end of the year, it's a great time to kind of take account of those things. And the key to all of this is, even when you think about the tough or the difficult things, is God is with you through all of it, isn't He? He's walking with you through all of these things. [00:24:32] (18 seconds)  #GodWithYouAlways

What we do today might be just more powerful than any sermon I can preach to you. Because when I look at the church and the book of Acts and things like that, people were giving testimony during church time. People were sharing. There was more than just one guy standing up and talking about what the Spirit was doing. And so I have to think that God will look out at this service today and be very, very pleased. [00:25:42] (26 seconds)  #TestimonyTransforms

And so you see this pattern of praising God in the present, but sometimes the world throws us into some difficulties and tough times, and we are to cry out to God, and then we are to praise God again. We always end up there. And that's what David did in his life, really. [00:29:24] (19 seconds)  #PraiseThroughTrials

So we'll hear some testimonies today. But, again, kind of prime the punt. So that's really what I want you to see today. This pattern of praising God and understanding and pleading out to God in the difficult times and then praising God again. You put that in your life, and it'll make a world, a world of difference. [00:31:17] (21 seconds)  #PraisePleadPraise

You are transformed. His spirit indwells you. And if you really unwrap that gift, you really use that gift, you will never, ever be the same. Amen? Amen. And that's my hope today. That you unwrap that gift. And I told you that unwrapped gift is this. When you unwrap it, you get the creator and the sustainer of the universe. That's who you get. You get God. He offers himself up to you. Not just at Christmas, but at all times. [01:15:10] (36 seconds)  #UnwrapTheGift

My hope and my prayer today is that you accept that gift. If you've never done it before, that you do it. Don't leave here today. Let us talk to you about it. Let us help you walk you through this. And understand what the greatest gift ever is for anybody. [01:16:11] (19 seconds)  #AcceptTheGift

It's offered to every person ever created. And if you've accepted that gift. And I told you sometimes we put it on the shelf. And we put it in the closet. And we don't use it. And it becomes, well, we even forget about it. You can do that. And maybe that's you today. You've accepted that gift. And you put it in the closet. And maybe today is the day you bring it back out of the closet. And you use it. You get close to it. And you experience everything you heard today. God speaking through his word. God speaking through his people. God bringing people to work with you. And to walk with you in this life. There's no other better way to be with Jesus. [01:16:30] (50 seconds)  #UseTheGift