Good morning. I love that song. What a great God we have. Well, welcome everyone. If you're here for the first time, hope you can tell you can just relax and uh be yourselves. We're certainly glad that you're here with us. Thanks for everyone that helped out Wednesday on the 4th. Uh had a lot of people making that happen. That was uh I think it was our third weird 4th of July in a row. Three times ago. Um I guess we didn't know to turn off the smoke detectors inside. And so when the all the smoke came and it came in through the vents, and then we had the, if you were here, we had the fire trucks and firefighters rushing in. And um last year we had the big storm, and then uh this year we had the uh the big delay. And it was actually concerning, you know, there was uh a couple people injured when the fireworks went off too close to the ground, and for a while we weren't you know sure how serious it was, but we got to pray for them, and uh you hopefully heard that the injuries weren't serious, and uh the fireworks eventually happened, even though by about 11 I was like, come on, grand finale, come on. But it was worth it. Um got a few things uh to remind you about. Uh one is the women's uh retreat, I guess, uh 21. That's this weekend. And uh that's gonna be a good time. Susan just wanted to make sure I reminded you that um check-in on Friday is between four and six, and the place is about an hour and forty-five minutes north. And so in your packet, you'll have directions and all that, but make sure you allow enough time um to get there in time. We've got 4th of 4th of July. We've uh got Red Cross training here on Saturday, July 28th. We've got the opportunity and honor to be a mega shelter for the Red Cross. And um it's something they haven't had to use very often in this county, but if if they ever do, it'll be such a great opportunity for us to help. Um to participate with that, it's an uh uh day training, and it'll be here. It starts at 8, finishes at 5 on uh on that Saturday, July 28th. And when you do that, it allows you to help here if it's needed, but also gives you the opportunity to go to Red Cross shelters anywhere. You know, if there was a natural disaster or situation, if you want to, you'd be able to go and help out there. And so if you'd like to be part of that, uh there's a sign up in the lobby um today to help with that. Uh reminder about giving, you know, we it really is a reminder because we don't pass a plate, and so sometimes uh it's easy to forget. But particularly during the summer when we have so many people traveling, we can get a little bit behind. So thanks for your generosity with that. We've got giving stations in the back, and you can give online um as well. So let's pray. Father, we just thank you for being such a great father, such a great dad. We sang of the names we can call you, and Daddy is one of the greatest of them all. So we just praise you, and we thank you for adopting us as your very own children. And Holy Spirit, we thank you for being our our teacher and our counselor. And please speak to each one of us today that we'll leave knowing we we heard something uh specifically for us and and from you. And Jesus, we do thank you for being our Savior and our friend. We love you, and it's in your name we pray. Amen. So we're learning a little bit of God's wisdom uh together. And you know, it's important that it's God's wisdom, because there's plenty of wisdom out there, plenty of ideas people have about the right way to do things. In 1 Corinthians 1 25, it says, This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strengths. You know, and so when we can get a hold of God's wisdom, his way of doing it, ask him to uh to help us trust him that his way is the right way. You know, it leads to a good and enjoyable and even a healthy life. I was thinking about the book of Proverbs and how if it had not been saved, and just today they you know find it in a cave in the Middle East somewhere, and it was the writings of Solomon, you know, uh expressing the wisdom that God Himself had given him. I mean, the world would go crazy. I mean, it would be an instant bestseller. Everybody wanted to see what Solomon would say about uh being wise. But because we have it, you know, and we've always had it, I think it's just so easy for me to take it for granted. But if we apply it, um, Proverbs makes some pretty big claims. In Proverbs 3, it says, Wisdom is more precious than rubies, nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand and riches and honor in her left. In Proverbs 4, it says, My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. In Proverbs 19, it says, To acquire wisdom is to love oneself. People who cherish understanding will prosper. And so we're going through each week and we're calling them choices because they're things that we have to um decide. You know, they're not going to happen by themselves. We're going to be confronted with different choices. And so we just have to decide to do it God's way, decide to trust Him, and uh also ask Him to give us the strength and help with it. And so we've made some great choices already to seek wisdom, to work hard, to choose our words, to choose our friends, and last week to choose self-control. That was a good choice. You know, we saw that it can be easier if we make have big goals and big hopes and and big dreams, but it's still a tough topic. You know, I can feel I felt it preparing for it. I felt it uh even as I was speaking, because I think it's an area that most of us struggle with. I certainly do, you know, struggling with self-control. Uh but this morning will be a nice break because it isn't really that uh tough of topic. It's actually more of a fun topic, and it's just uh one of two or three of the more enjoyable choices I think that we'll make. Proverbs 3.27 says, do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. And so today we'll choose to do good. And the reason I think that's an easy choice is just that I'm so thankful for all of you. I mean, you're such an amazing group of people, and really individually and collectively do so much good in so many ways. You know, we're a volunteer church, everything is done by you. And there's people here every day, uh every Sunday, every time there's events, uh helping people during the week, you know, love squad and bringing mills and construction projects, and every time there's uh there's something to do, there's an overwhelming response, you know, whether it could be Christmas Angels, where they all seem to get taken, you know, uh right away, it could just be anything. That that this is a group that I'm really proud to be part of because you you do so much good in so many ways. And so I think this morning we're not gonna leave feeling guilty. Um we'll probably leave filling a little bit free in in some areas that uh that we'll talk about. And we're not talking this morning about uh financial generosity, even though there'll be a time to make a choice about that. But we're really talking more about our time and the talents and and abilities that God gives us. We're talking about noticing people, helping people, you know, seeing outside of ourselves, uh, encouraging people, whatever, whatever the situation calls for. You know, for me, I was a pretty tough case. I guess I still am, but um, you know, just trusting God. You know, it was so hard for me to trust God um with my money because I didn't have enough of it, you know, and and over time he showed me that I absolutely can trust him with money. But then I had a hard time trusting with time for the same reason because I didn't have enough of it, you know? And uh but over time he showed me that I can actually trust him with that. And in some ways, he can multiply time just like he does other things. But one way was uh at the church we went were part of before we started this, I decided you know to help and I was gonna do it uh financially, and so they make an announcement, and there's a four-week outreach for kids. And what they needed was a bike. I think I've shared this, I'm sure, uh, once before. But they needed a bike, and so I thought, you know what, I'm I'm gonna buy them a bike to help with this outreach. And so not only that, I decide I'm gonna buy them two bikes. And so I head back to the children's church to meet with the guy that leads it, you know, anticipating both his joy and great appreciation. And I uh say, hey, I want to help with the bikes. You know, I heard about that in the announcements. He's like, Well, we already got the bikes covered. What I could really use is just your help for the four weeks. And I'm like, you know, bikes are pretty good. I mean, I could an extra bike, that would that would go a long way. But he said, No, I really need you. That I had some people that help and they're gonna be gone. And so um, and so I said, Okay, and what he needed me to do was basically stand up in front of the kids and like lead the dances, you know, like Father Abraham and all this stuff. And uh God did not create me to dance in front of any group of people, uh, even seven-year-old kids. Um, but that's what I did, you know, it was a way of giving time, and um I'd like to say how much I enjoyed that. I mean, I'd like to, but it was actually moments of terror every single uh every single time. Um, but it was good. You know, if we want to be like Jesus, uh, you know, we'll spend our lives looking, seeing, helping, and doing good. In Acts 10.38, it sums up Jesus' life on earth pretty simply. It says, And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. It's kind of like Nathan was sharing during the Lord's Supper. You know how Jesus was always noticing somebody, you know, helping somebody, encouraging somebody. And in other words, he spent his life doing good. And that's such a great way for people to um sum us up as individuals, to sum us up as a church. Wow, they really do a lot of good. And there's two qualifiers in this Proverb. Before we talk about kind of doing good specifically, there's a couple qualifiers. In Proverbs 3.27, it it says, do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. And so the first qualifier is for those who deserve it. And that's kind of an example maybe of God's wisdom for those who deserve it. Everyone deserves love. Everyone. And we can always give as much of that as possible. But we can actually hurt people sometimes by giving to them in the wrong way or at the wrong time. Susan and I found that out. When we did get excited about giving, you know, we really kind of went for it and saw how sometimes we would get in God's way, how sometimes we would enable someone, or some way we would actually hurt by helping when we just meant to help. And so that's one of the reasons that we need the Holy Spirit. You know, we can't just always have a list of what to do and what not to do. We need the Holy Spirit to help us see when and how and what to do to help. Along the same lines in 2 Thessalonians 3.10, it says, even while we were with you, we gave you this command, those unwilling to work will not get to eat. So sometimes people don't deserve help, as harsh as that sounds. In Proverbs 16, 26, it said, it is good for workers to have an appetite. An empty stomach drives them on. And so sometimes, not often, just sometimes, there's a way we can help someone that actually takes away motivation from them to be successful, to have a good life themselves. And so Paul lays out this attempt this attention in Galatians 6. He says, carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they're not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions, then we can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone to someone else. For each one should carry their own load. And so in the same section, Paul says, carry each other's burdens, we each should carry our own load. And so a burden is something that's just too big for one person to carry. And we all have those at different times in our lives. We just can't make it ourselves. We need someone to help us. But we also all have personal responsibility, things that we should take care of. You know, and that would be our own load, if you will. And so we can look for burdens to share, and we can also, you know, decide that we're gonna uh be responsible and care for ourselves when we can. I think this is especially true with family members. You know, uh many of us have experienced that. But asking God to show us how we can help someone without feeling the total responsibility, you know, trying to save someone. You know, Jesus is the savior. And I've certainly done that in my life where I've just taken too much personal responsibility, kind of emotional responsibility, if you will, for helping someone that, you know, I wanted to help them more than they wanted themselves to be helped. And um and so we, you know, we just it's not wise to do that. I mean, we have a bunch of people involved with AA here. Thank thank God for that. Um but I think you know, you learn to go all out to help someone, but in the end, we can't want it more for someone than they want it for themselves. And so that's part of God's wisdom, is is is determining when how and how to help. And that's just a small reminder, you know, but it and that's the part I I think these two qualifiers really are the part that might leave us feeling a little freer and a little less guilty uh in ways. But the the second qualifier is when it is in your power to help them. You know, sometimes it's just not in our power. You know, we might not have the time, we might not have the money, we might not have the energy, we might not even have the ability. You know, sometimes I'll talk with someone and there'll be a situation, and I'm like, you know, I this one's over my head, you know. It's not within my power. Here's someone that that that you should speak with. I had a friend, a good friend, who almost went bankrupt because he filled up so many credit cards helping people. He would pay for them to go on mission trips, he would pay for supplies, he would help people in in all kinds of ways. Now that was nice, but it wasn't wise because in those situations he didn't have the power uh to help. And so here at his hands, there's always something to do. You know, when we started, it kind of freaked me out because there was always something more to do. And so I just had to make peace with that, that I could only do what's within my power, I guess. But it's the same's true with with y'all, because there's always something more to do. And so it's good sometimes uh to say no and not feel guilty about it. You know, it might be that you need refreshed, you need encouraged, whatever it is. But there's sometimes it's just not within our power uh to help. And that's one way we can just kind of live more lighthearted, is when we have when we have hearts of love looking to help, but we also have boundaries realizing we can't do it all ourselves. You know, the most famous story about helping was one that uh Jesus told. It was in Luke 10. And he's talking to a religious scholar, and they were talking about loving God and and uh loving people. And so the scholar asked, the man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus had said, Love your neighbor as yourself. And Jesus replied with a story A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along, but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here. Now, which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits? Jesus asked. The man replied, the one who showed him mercy. And then Jesus said, Yes, now go and do the same. So Jesus' main point that he's making to this particular person and a group of people is really the difference between self-righteous religion and loving people and helping people. Did this man who was attacked deserve help? I mean, certainly. Certainly he did. Was it in the Samaritan's power to help? It was. He bandaged him up, put him on his donkey, took him to Ann, he was able to pay for the inn. But what he didn't do is he didn't cancel his business trip. He didn't take him home. He didn't decide that he personally was going to have to stay with him until he was completely better. He did what was within his power to do. And then went on with his life. You know, it it's good to help every way we can, but it's also good to have good boundaries and good wisdom. But that's the smallest part really of this proverb, is those couple of qualifiers. The main point is that we want to live lives doing good, seeing people's needs, interacting with people, helping them in all different ways. Jesus said in Matthew 25, Then the king will say to those on his right, Enter you who are blessed by my Father. Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation, and here's why. I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me. Then those sheep are going to say, Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you? Then the king will say, I'm telling the solemn truth. Whatever you did, one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me. You did it to me. I mean, there's so many ways to do good. Jesus mentioned several here. Give someone a meal, give some something to drink, clothes, visit someone who is down. I mean, there's other ways. It's encouraging people, treating everyone as valuable because everyone is. Include people who aren't being included. Jesus said something really profound at a dinner party once. It's in Luke 14. Then he turned to the host. The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out. The misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be and experience a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned. Oh, how it will be returned at the resurrection of God's people. Some people go their entire lives without anyone treating them as important, as valuable, having any kindness shown to them, noticing them, caring about them, just seeing them, thinking to invite them out somewhere with us or spend some time with them, care about them. It could it literally can change a life. You know, it's just to live that way. You know, I think of uh waiters and and and waitresses, you know, and cashiers and and people, how we have this choice are are we gonna treat them like our servants or are we gonna show the truth that they're valuable? You know, God's sons, God's daughters with. Kindness and respect and gratitude, and it makes such a difference. You know, the smallest thing can literally make somebody's day, make somebody's month. You know, a few words of encouragement can change the course of somebody's life. In Proverbs 11, 17, it says, when you're kind to others, you help yourself. This proverb in the Living Bible says that when you're kind to others, you nourish your own soul. You know, it's we are created in God's image, each of us. And part of that is that we literally are created to help others, to do good and to help others. And we only really feel at peace, and we only really feel in sync when we're seeing outside of ourselves, when we're noticing other people, when we're pitching in, when we're making a difference. In Ephesians 2.10 it says, For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Galatians 6 says, So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don't give up. Andy Andrews writes about a man who did good. He saved the lives of over two billion people. His name's Norman Borlock. And he won the Nobel Prize. What he did is he developed a hybrid corn. There's a type of corn that could be grown in arid parts of the world, like Africa and Asia and South America. And that corn that could be grown there, it is estimated, saved over two billion lives from starvation. Just from this new type of corn. And so he's credited for saving more than two billion lives. But maybe it wasn't Norman Borlock who saved the lives. Maybe it was Henry Wallace. Henry Wallace was vice president of the United States, but before he was vice president of the United States, he was Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. And he created a station that was there to research the idea of a hybrid corn, specifically for the southwestern U.S. And he hired Norman Borlock to run it. And so while Norman Borloch won the Nobel Prize and is widely credited for saving over two billion lives, it was really Henry Wallace's initial act that saved two billion people. But maybe not. Maybe it was George Washington Carver. Now most of us have heard of George Washington Carver. He developed over 260 some uses of peanuts. He also came up with the victory gardens in World War II, which ended up feeding much of the country. When he was 19, he was a student at Iowa State, and he had a professor there, and he befriended this professor's six-year-old son. He would do things with him on the weekend, and he would encourage him to live a life of meaning and impact. That boy was Henry Wallace. So maybe it was George Washington Carver who really is the one that saved over two billion lives from starvation. But maybe not. There was a couple that owned a farm, Moses and Susan, they owned a farm in Diamond, Missouri. And Missouri at the time was a slave state, but they didn't believe in slavery. And so they were tagged as sympathizers. And one night the clan attacked their farm. And they burned it and they shot several people and they kidnapped a woman and her little baby. And the woman was Mary Washington, who was Susan's best friend. And so Moses put out word that he would do anything to get them back. And so a few days later, he got on his horse and he rode to Kansas. And there in the middle of the night, he met four men with white hoods and torches, and he gave them his only horse. And they threw a burlap sack on the ground and then rode off. And so he opens the sack, and it's a cold, naked, almost dead baby boy. And it's Mary's son, and he knows now that Mary's been killed. And so he picks up the boy, puts him inside his coat, and he promises, he promises him that he's going to always raise him as his own son. And he promises him that he's going to educate him in honor of his mom. And so that's how Moses and Susan Carver came to adopt little George Washington Carver. So maybe it was the two, it was the couple on the farm in Diamond, Missouri that saved over two billion people. See the thing about acts of kindness and goodness is they build. They build and they build and they build. And eventually we cannot just change lives, we can literally change the world. It says, always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. And so today we choose to do good. And you love people, notice people, help people. It's one of the keys to a healthy and happy life. So today we choose to do good. If the worship team will come up, we'll stop there. In fact, let's stand, let's get ready to sing one more worship song together. I didn't really have the power, I guess, or even a soft enough heart to do good, you know, until I connected with Jesus. Until God filled me up so much with his love that there was something there that could overflow into anybody else. You know, and that's Jesus is the greatest choice that we all ever make. And it's so easy to connect with him. You know, it's just in our own words, in our own way. Jesus, I need you. Jesus, help me. Jesus, I want to trust you. Jesus, I'm sorry, you know, wherever we're at, whatever that is. And he, man, that's what he wants. That's what he wants. And we are created in God's image, and we have a spirit, you know, and when we put our trust in Jesus, that spirit comes alive and it connects with God's spirit. And then he starts changing us. He does the heavy lifting. All these choices we make, that's the thing, is that we've got to make them, but we can't do it without God's help. You know, it's it's Him transforming us, changing us from the inside out. And eventually our whole lives change, and then we can have that kind of life that it talks about in Proverbs. So that's a great choice to make, and we thank God for having such a great and loving daddy. Hope you all have a really great and blessed week. Let's pray. So, Father, we praise you. We thank you for all you do for us, for writing down this great wisdom. Please just infuse it into our hearts and give us the power and the strength to apply it in our lives. And we do ask you to bless each one here to have the kind of life that you talk about in Proverbs. Some of us are going through such tough times right now, God, and please give each of us everything that we need. We thank you. We love you, we trust you. It's in Jesus' name. Amen.