WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.636 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.896 --> 00:08.836 We're so glad you're here and we hope this message inspires you, builds your 00:08.836 --> 00:12.076 faith and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.516 --> 00:16.256 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible and learn how you 00:16.256 --> 00:17.776 can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.316 --> 00:20.536 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.476 --> 00:25.956 If you have your Bible, please open it with me to Genesis chapter 11. 00:27.453 --> 00:31.313 Today, we're celebrating our church's 40th anniversary. 00:31.313 --> 00:35.193 Now, the number 40 is a very significant number 00:35.193 --> 00:36.333 in the Bible. 00:36.333 --> 00:38.033 When God flooded the earth, 00:38.033 --> 00:41.073 it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. 00:41.073 --> 00:45.133 When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, 00:45.133 --> 00:48.313 they wandered the desert for 40 years. 00:48.310 --> 00:50.550 before they entered the Promised Land. 00:50.570 --> 00:52.050 And when we come to the New Testament, 00:52.090 --> 00:55.810 we see that Jesus actually spent 40 days and 40 nights 00:55.850 --> 01:00.010 in the desert being tempted by the devil. 01:00.207 --> 01:06.387 Well, today marks 40 years since some people of God right here in Bakersfield, California, 01:07.107 --> 01:10.727 stepped out in faith to form Valley Baptist Church. 01:11.287 --> 01:17.307 Now, sometimes I'm asked by other pastors, you know, what is the secret to Valley Baptist, 01:17.467 --> 01:18.807 its growth and its health? 01:18.807 --> 01:20.827 And my answer is always the same. 01:21.687 --> 01:24.147 The secret is the blessing of God. 01:24.997 --> 01:30.417 Today we're concluding our series on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. 01:30.997 --> 01:34.937 And Genesis really is broken up into two major sections. 01:35.097 --> 01:40.497 The first 11 chapters give us the history of ancient mankind. 01:41.117 --> 01:45.397 The remaining chapters give us the history of the Jewish people. 01:45.922 --> 01:51.302 Now, it could be argued that the main theme of the book is the blessing of God. 01:51.822 --> 01:56.382 And so this morning, I want us to look at God's blessing upon a man named Abraham. 01:57.062 --> 02:01.282 And then for our purposes today, this, our 40th anniversary, 02:01.282 --> 02:09.502 I want to show you how God's blessing upon Abraham actually mirrors his blessing 02:09.496 --> 02:10.696 upon the local church. 02:11.116 --> 02:14.656 Now, we saw a couple months ago from Genesis chapter 3 02:14.656 --> 02:16.876 that God cursed Satan. 02:17.436 --> 02:20.856 And he said that he would put enmity between him and the woman, 02:20.996 --> 02:22.956 between your seed and her seed. 02:22.956 --> 02:26.496 He shall crush your head, but you shall bruise his heel. 02:27.063 --> 02:32.883 Well, that was the first prophecy in the Bible of a coming Messiah who would come from the 02:32.883 --> 02:37.383 seed of a woman, who would come from the seed of Eve. 02:37.383 --> 02:39.863 And that coming seed would be our Savior. 02:39.863 --> 02:42.023 He would be the King. 02:42.023 --> 02:48.063 Now that prophecy or promise is sort of the thesis statement for the rest of the Bible. 02:48.072 --> 02:53.332 In chapter 4, Adam and Eve's son, Cain, kills their other son named Abel. 02:53.332 --> 02:55.952 And then they have a third son named Seth. 02:56.172 --> 03:00.912 And when Seth is born, Eve exclaims, God has provided another seed. 03:01.592 --> 03:06.352 Well, it's through the seed of Seth that the promised Messiah seed would be born. 03:06.872 --> 03:15.012 And there's a number of genealogies that we looked at early in Genesis that show us the lineage of the chosen seed's ancestors. 03:15.967 --> 03:22.267 He was of the line of Seth, and then of Enoch, and then of Noah, and then of Shem. 03:22.367 --> 03:24.507 Eventually, he's of the line of Abraham. 03:24.707 --> 03:28.567 In fact, the New Testament begins in Matthew chapter 1, verse number 1, 03:28.667 --> 03:35.807 by saying this is the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 03:36.554 --> 03:39.594 So we're going to look at God's blessing upon Abraham. 03:39.714 --> 03:46.274 But before we do, let's look at the genealogy from Noah's son Shem all the way to Abram. 03:46.734 --> 03:49.414 Verse number 10, we read, and this is a lot, so stay with me. 03:49.454 --> 03:52.014 It says, this is the genealogy of Shem. 03:52.619 --> 03:58.399 Shem was 100 years old and begot Arpachshad, two years after the flood. 03:58.479 --> 04:03.579 And after he begot Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and begot sons and daughters. 04:04.079 --> 04:06.979 Arpachshad lived 35 years and begot Selah. 04:07.539 --> 04:13.019 After he begot Selah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and begot sons and daughters. 04:13.595 --> 04:16.915 Selah lived 30 years and begot Eber, which, by the way, 04:16.915 --> 04:21.215 Eber is what most people believe the name Hebrew came from. 04:21.215 --> 04:23.375 Eber, Hebrew. 04:23.375 --> 04:28.175 After he begot Eber, Selah lived 403 years 04:28.175 --> 04:29.915 and begot sons and daughters. 04:30.048 --> 04:33.588 Eber lived 34 years and begot Peleg. 04:33.588 --> 04:36.748 After he begot Peleg, Eber lived 430 years 04:36.748 --> 04:38.388 and begot sons and daughters. 04:38.388 --> 04:41.788 Peleg lived 30 years and begot Rehu. 04:41.788 --> 04:45.028 After he begot Rehu, Peleg lived 209 years 04:45.028 --> 04:47.068 and begot sons and daughters. 04:47.068 --> 04:50.928 Rehu lived 32 years and begot Seru. 04:50.939 --> 04:56.199 After he begot Sareg, Rehu lived 207 years and begot sons and daughters. 04:56.819 --> 04:59.899 Sareg lived 30 years and begot Nahor. 05:00.379 --> 05:04.839 After he begot Nahor, Sareg lived 200 years and begot sons and daughters. 05:05.559 --> 05:08.579 Nahor lived 29 years and begot Terah. 05:09.119 --> 05:14.539 After he begot Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and begot sons and daughters. 05:15.155 --> 05:21.175 Now Terah lived 70 years and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 05:21.915 --> 05:25.795 Now, verse number 26, there's a break in the pattern of genealogy 05:25.795 --> 05:29.855 that indicates to us someone very important has arrived on the scene. 05:29.855 --> 05:36.095 Instead of it listing just one son in that lineage, it lists three sons. 05:36.635 --> 05:39.675 Three are listed, indicating someone very important has arrived, 05:39.735 --> 05:41.935 a man by the name of Abram. 05:42.335 --> 05:44.212 Verse 27. 05:44.213 --> 05:46.773 This is the genealogy of Terah. 05:46.773 --> 05:50.173 Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 05:50.173 --> 05:51.833 Haran begot Lot. 05:51.833 --> 05:55.673 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, 05:55.673 --> 05:57.453 in Ur of the Chaldeans. 05:57.453 --> 05:59.513 Then Abram and Nahor took wives. 05:59.513 --> 06:02.513 The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, 06:02.513 --> 06:05.853 and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, 06:05.853 --> 06:08.453 the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 06:08.463 --> 06:11.763 But Sarai was barren, she had no child. 06:11.763 --> 06:14.343 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot 06:14.343 --> 06:17.943 and the son of Haran and his daughter-in-law Sarai, 06:17.943 --> 06:20.443 his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them 06:20.443 --> 06:24.343 from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. 06:24.343 --> 06:26.623 And they came to Haran and dwelt there. 06:26.623 --> 06:31.623 So the days of Terah were 205 years and Terah died in Haran." 06:32.263 --> 06:37.003 And that's a lot of names, a lot of genealogy. 06:36.998 --> 06:46.178 But it is all pointing to a man named Abram, who will become the focus of the next 14 chapters in Genesis. 06:46.178 --> 06:49.178 I mean, we've been studying the first 11 chapters of Genesis. 06:49.378 --> 06:53.638 It records for us roughly 3,000 years. 06:53.637 --> 06:58.817 Now Abraham's life is going to get more attention than the history of the world before him. 06:58.917 --> 07:02.737 So the question is, why is this man so important? 07:02.737 --> 07:07.117 Well, he's the progenitor of the Jewish race. 07:07.357 --> 07:11.877 And he's called by Jews and Christians alike the father of faith. 07:12.077 --> 07:17.137 The Bible says that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. 07:17.870 --> 07:22.630 Now, it's very important to know that Abraham was actually a very, very ordinary guy. 07:22.750 --> 07:23.850 I mean, he wasn't a priest. 07:23.950 --> 07:25.009 He wasn't a prophet. 07:25.010 --> 07:26.150 He wasn't a preacher. 07:26.330 --> 07:27.730 He was a simple businessman. 07:28.670 --> 07:32.070 but he was a businessman who had incredible faith. 07:32.070 --> 07:35.270 So much faith that you might be tempted to think 07:35.270 --> 07:38.670 that he came from this great family of faith, 07:38.670 --> 07:40.230 but you'd be wrong. 07:40.230 --> 07:43.010 Abram was from Ur of the Chaldeans, 07:43.010 --> 07:47.070 and his father Terah worshiped the moon and the stars. 07:47.070 --> 07:51.450 And so Abraham's family was actually extremely pagan. 07:51.450 --> 07:54.830 And it was out of that paganism that God called him 07:54.830 --> 07:57.450 to himself and blessed him. 07:57.458 --> 07:59.958 Here's our principle for our church family. 07:59.958 --> 08:07.598 God blesses a church who recognizes that all of its members came out of darkness. 08:07.598 --> 08:13.878 Sometimes churches get so buttoned up that they sort of look like no one's ever struggled 08:13.878 --> 08:16.638 with any sin in their life. 08:16.638 --> 08:21.018 Testimonies are rarely shared because then they'd have to acknowledge that sin exists 08:21.018 --> 08:23.878 within their church family or has existed. 08:24.155 --> 08:27.395 I've found that those churches don't see many people come to faith in Christ. 08:27.515 --> 08:31.875 And the reason, I think, is because I don't think God blesses churches 08:31.875 --> 08:34.875 who make themselves look better than what they actually are. 08:35.575 --> 08:38.895 Remember in the book of Acts, when God killed a husband and a wife 08:38.895 --> 08:41.495 by the name of Ananias and Sapphira, why did God kill them? 08:41.495 --> 08:46.075 It says because they tried to make themselves look more generous 08:46.075 --> 08:48.435 than what they actually were. 08:48.495 --> 08:50.075 They lied about how much they'd given. 08:51.205 --> 08:55.805 Pharisees were like that, always trying to ignore the fact that they too were sinners. 08:55.965 --> 08:58.285 And Jesus called them and he said, you're a bunch of whitewashed tombs. 08:58.345 --> 09:02.465 You're all pretty and polished on the outside, but inside are dead men's bones. 09:03.322 --> 09:06.622 You see, the Christian life doesn't have to be fake because it's real. 09:07.362 --> 09:09.222 You don't have to fake holiness. 09:09.582 --> 09:11.662 God can actually make you holy. 09:12.382 --> 09:17.822 So as a Christian, we should not act as if our past life before Jesus never happened. 09:17.822 --> 09:25.582 In fact, if you do, that's going to put a spotlight on you instead of the grace of God that it only belongs on. 09:25.715 --> 09:37.475 Now, I think one of the reasons that God has so blessed our church family is because we have been honest for the most part with the fact that every member in our church has been saved out of utter darkness. 09:37.795 --> 09:46.155 All of us, all of us have a past that we're not proud of that God saved us out of, just like he did Abram. 09:46.535 --> 09:48.875 Let's pick up the story in chapter 12, verse 1. 09:49.913 --> 09:52.333 It says, now the Lord had said to Abram, 09:52.653 --> 09:55.213 get out of your country from your family 09:55.213 --> 09:58.133 and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. 09:58.393 --> 10:00.113 I will make you a great nation. 10:00.273 --> 10:02.353 I will bless you and make your name great 10:02.353 --> 10:03.813 and you shall be a blessing. 10:04.233 --> 10:06.033 I will bless those who bless you 10:06.033 --> 10:07.733 and I will curse him who curses you. 10:07.733 --> 10:10.053 And in you, all the families 10:10.053 --> 10:13.013 or the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 10:13.473 --> 10:17.133 So Abram departed as the Lord has spoken to him. 10:18.314 --> 10:21.414 Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans. 10:21.494 --> 10:25.314 And God said, get out of your own country and go to a land that I am giving you. 10:25.374 --> 10:28.574 Now, notice God doesn't tell him anything about the land. 10:29.374 --> 10:34.334 Now, hundreds of years later, God would be kind to Moses, telling him about the land. 10:34.334 --> 10:37.274 This is a land flowing with milk and honey. 10:37.354 --> 10:39.014 In other words, it's a land that's prosperous. 10:39.214 --> 10:41.314 But Abraham didn't know anything about the land. 10:42.226 --> 10:45.766 Even at first, we know from the book of Hebrews, he didn't know where it's at. 10:45.886 --> 10:49.506 Because Hebrews 11 says he went out not knowing where he was going. 10:50.166 --> 10:51.005 God said, go. 10:51.006 --> 10:55.086 And he went, marching right off the known map. 10:55.186 --> 10:57.206 What incredible faith. 10:57.706 --> 10:59.205 Here's our principle. 10:59.206 --> 11:05.246 God blesses a church who is committed to radical faith and obedience. 11:06.425 --> 11:08.565 When God says go, we go. 11:08.565 --> 11:11.425 When God says do something, we do it. 11:11.425 --> 11:14.505 For the last 40 years, Valley Baptist has been a church 11:14.505 --> 11:17.685 of radical faith and obedience. 11:17.685 --> 11:21.285 When God pressed it upon two churches to merge 11:21.285 --> 11:24.705 and form one church with three senior pastors, 11:24.705 --> 11:27.805 something that was unheard of, our church said yes. 11:28.126 --> 11:32.166 When God led our church to relocate to Fruitville Avenue 11:32.166 --> 11:37.166 at first from Airport Drive, we just had $24,000 11:37.206 --> 11:39.546 in the bank on that day of that vote, 11:39.546 --> 11:42.126 a $400,000 annual budget. 11:42.126 --> 11:44.586 And yet we voted to purchase and build 11:44.586 --> 11:46.466 the initial buildings on our Fruitville campus, 11:46.466 --> 11:49.806 which costs $6 million at the time. 11:49.806 --> 11:53.026 That would be the equivalent of us as a church 11:53.026 --> 11:57.086 taking on $170 million project. 11:57.269 --> 12:03.069 That sounds crazy, but it wasn't because it was faith. 12:03.929 --> 12:05.549 Now, not everyone saw it that way. 12:05.649 --> 12:07.188 There was opposition. 12:07.189 --> 12:09.989 One deacon took my dad and Pastor Phil out to lunch. 12:10.029 --> 12:13.689 He said, what you guys are doing, you are being reckless with the church's finances. 12:13.949 --> 12:15.527 He left the church. 12:15.528 --> 12:16.487 But you know what? 12:16.488 --> 12:19.748 Radical faith risks looking reckless. 12:20.328 --> 12:23.828 Radical faith, it risks looking foolish at times. 12:24.088 --> 12:27.428 Our congregation, we chose to disregard fear 12:27.428 --> 12:30.688 and instead to focus on the future God was calling us to, 12:30.688 --> 12:34.688 to believe God and to follow where he was leading. 12:35.588 --> 12:38.968 Some churches make decisions based on what they can calculate, 12:39.148 --> 12:40.148 but that's not faith. 12:40.268 --> 12:41.348 That's called math. 12:42.983 --> 12:45.563 Faith is something very different than what we can calculate. 12:46.023 --> 12:47.963 Business operates on what it can see. 12:48.283 --> 12:50.283 Faith operates on what it can foresee. 12:50.923 --> 12:54.243 Faith refuses to focus on all of the obstacles at hand. 12:54.343 --> 12:57.143 Instead, it just asks the simple question, what is God's will? 12:57.903 --> 13:00.343 What is the will of God in this situation? 13:00.763 --> 13:02.743 Where is he leading us? 13:02.743 --> 13:07.083 And wherever he leads, that's where we're going as a church family. 13:07.543 --> 13:09.003 Here's another principle. 13:10.085 --> 13:15.085 God blesses a church who's willing to step out of their comfort zone. 13:16.265 --> 13:19.725 See, God called Abraham out of his comfort zone, didn't he? 13:19.725 --> 13:21.725 He had grown up in Ur, the Chaldeans. 13:21.825 --> 13:24.285 He lived there for nearly 60 years. 13:24.365 --> 13:26.084 That was home. 13:26.085 --> 13:32.765 Now, the Chaldean Empire was in the lower part of ancient Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates River. 13:33.558 --> 13:40.018 Between the years 1922 and 1939, the city of Ur was unearthed, 13:40.018 --> 13:44.378 and archaeologists found an incredibly wealthy and sophisticated city. 13:44.378 --> 13:49.718 It was an ancient civilization that in many ways rivaled the Egyptian empire. 13:49.707 --> 13:52.807 In fact, archaeologists uncovered there 13:52.807 --> 13:55.707 an ancient library in the city of Ur 13:55.707 --> 13:58.447 that held over 10,000 volumes. 13:58.447 --> 14:01.987 They unearthed these massive two-story brick houses 14:01.987 --> 14:05.547 that had these big courtyards and these balconies. 14:05.547 --> 14:09.027 Abraham's family, being who they were, I'm sure was very, 14:09.027 --> 14:10.087 they were incredibly wealthy. 14:10.087 --> 14:13.227 And so Abraham probably grew up in one of those big houses. 14:13.227 --> 14:16.427 He had a very nice, comfortable life. 14:16.775 --> 14:24.035 But God called him to leave the comforts of his home and to go to a land that God was giving him. 14:24.115 --> 14:25.175 And so Abraham went. 14:26.095 --> 14:29.235 We know from the rest of the story, if you were to read on in Genesis, 14:30.175 --> 14:38.375 that Abraham became a Bedouin, wandering from place to place, living in a tent for the rest of his life. 14:38.628 --> 14:43.768 Did you know that God still calls people out of their comfort zone? 14:44.168 --> 14:46.068 Oftentimes when God's doing a new work, 14:46.148 --> 14:49.248 that's when he will call his people out of their comfort zone 14:49.248 --> 14:51.988 to accomplish a new work of God. 14:52.328 --> 14:53.448 God blesses people. 14:53.628 --> 14:57.228 God blesses churches who are willing to be uncomfortable for Jesus. 14:58.608 --> 15:01.308 Now, I know as a pastor, that doesn't excite a whole lot of people, 15:01.308 --> 15:04.348 but I have found being uncomfortable for Jesus 15:04.348 --> 15:07.048 sure beats being uncomfortable without Jesus. 15:08.311 --> 15:14.371 Now, in verse number one, we see exactly what God called Abraham to leave. 15:14.471 --> 15:18.211 He says, leave your country and leave your family. 15:19.111 --> 15:20.370 Here's our principle. 15:20.371 --> 15:25.291 God blesses a church who puts God above family and country. 15:26.811 --> 15:36.831 Through the years, I've talked with quite a few people in our church who had to leave their family behind in order to follow Jesus with believers baptism. 15:37.454 --> 15:39.214 Because they said, well, I'm not sure what to do, Pastor. 15:39.294 --> 15:40.033 What do I do? 15:40.034 --> 15:43.594 If I get baptized, I know my family's going to disown me. 15:43.694 --> 15:44.273 And guess what? 15:44.274 --> 15:47.954 They followed Jesus instead of their family, and they got baptized. 15:48.474 --> 15:49.494 That's sacrifice. 15:50.334 --> 15:52.194 That's what incredible faith. 15:52.874 --> 15:57.334 Now, the word country here isn't referring to a nation like we think of a nation. 15:57.334 --> 15:59.334 It's referring to a land. 16:00.174 --> 16:05.194 Leave the land you're from and go to the land I'm giving you. 16:06.378 --> 16:10.538 Over 40 years ago, there were two country boys from Oklahoma 16:10.538 --> 16:12.658 that lived in the middle of nowhere 16:12.658 --> 16:14.738 who God impressed upon their hearts 16:14.738 --> 16:17.298 to leave their families behind 16:17.298 --> 16:19.518 and to leave the land of the Bible Belt 16:19.518 --> 16:21.738 and to move to the mission field, 16:21.738 --> 16:23.918 that crazy place called California. 16:25.514 --> 16:27.033 And God blessed them. 16:27.034 --> 16:28.614 He blessed their faith and their obedience. 16:28.794 --> 16:30.794 And shortly after, Valley Baptist Church was formed. 16:31.074 --> 16:35.774 And did you know that God is still calling a lot of people from our church family 16:35.774 --> 16:38.194 to leave their family and country behind? 16:39.537 --> 16:43.037 Think about our church planners who leave the comforts of Valley Baptist, 16:43.157 --> 16:44.917 a wonderful, loving church. 16:44.997 --> 16:48.297 They leave the comforts of Valley Baptist to go start a new church, 16:48.517 --> 16:51.257 a new work of God that God is calling them to. 16:51.517 --> 16:54.297 Think about our missionaries who not only leave our church family, 16:54.397 --> 16:57.017 not only leave our state, they leave our country. 16:57.017 --> 17:02.077 They leave to go to a foreign land that speaks a foreign language. 17:02.277 --> 17:03.436 Why? 17:03.437 --> 17:05.697 Because God calls them just like Abraham called. 17:06.117 --> 17:08.437 They are called and they go. 17:09.288 --> 17:11.508 Now let's read verse number two again. 17:11.648 --> 17:14.528 He says, God says, I will make you a great nation. 17:14.788 --> 17:16.448 I will bless you and make your name great, 17:16.528 --> 17:17.848 and you shall be a blessing. 17:18.288 --> 17:20.668 God says to Abram, I'm going to make you a great nation. 17:20.668 --> 17:23.008 But there was a pretty big problem with that. 17:23.908 --> 17:25.588 Abram didn't have any kids. 17:26.534 --> 17:32.614 We saw, we read a moment ago in chapter 11, verse number 3, that it says that Sarai was barren. 17:33.754 --> 17:36.274 I mean, she was not able to get pregnant. 17:36.694 --> 17:40.954 Now, everyone else, we saw a lot of other people in Abraham's family were having a lot of kids. 17:40.954 --> 17:42.494 But Abram and... 17:43.966 --> 17:48.166 Sarai, they just kept aging without any kids, 17:48.246 --> 17:50.326 and yet God said, I'm going to make you a great nation. 17:50.586 --> 17:52.086 And later God tells Abraham, he says, 17:52.146 --> 17:55.826 your descendants are going to be as numerous as the stars in the sky 17:55.826 --> 17:57.286 and the sand on the seashore. 17:57.286 --> 18:02.146 But God never actually explained to him how that was going to happen, 18:02.286 --> 18:04.806 and yet Abraham believed it. 18:05.306 --> 18:07.438 Here's our principle. 18:07.439 --> 18:13.899 God blesses a church that builds itself on God's promises, not God's explanations. 18:15.939 --> 18:26.839 Sarai's inability to have children and God's promise of a child became the greatest sort of conflict in Abraham's life between seeing and believing. 18:26.839 --> 18:30.159 Because decades go by with no child. 18:30.895 --> 18:34.815 Sometimes we have the same conflict as individuals, but also as churches. 18:34.975 --> 18:38.095 I mean, wouldn't it be nice if the will of God came in thesis form? 18:38.455 --> 18:43.515 If God got out the map and he just mapped out our whole life from beginning to end of what's going to happen. 18:43.575 --> 18:45.855 He explains, hey, you're going to lose someone. 18:47.298 --> 18:50.198 that you love more than life itself. 18:50.198 --> 18:53.718 But here's all the ways that I'm going to use it 18:53.718 --> 18:55.298 to bless other people's life. 18:55.298 --> 18:58.038 Here are all the ways I'm going to use it to make you stronger. 18:58.038 --> 18:58.877 That would be nice. 18:58.878 --> 19:02.538 Or maybe you break up with someone, the person 19:02.538 --> 19:05.538 that you're with, and it's going to wreck you. 19:05.538 --> 19:06.558 But don't you worry. 19:06.558 --> 19:08.838 You're going to end up marrying someone who's even better 19:08.838 --> 19:09.978 for you in the future. 19:09.978 --> 19:11.358 That would be wonderful. 19:11.358 --> 19:13.818 We all would love that. 19:13.808 --> 19:15.948 But that's not what God does, is it? 19:16.528 --> 19:19.348 Instead, God says, trust me today. 19:20.948 --> 19:22.867 Trust my promises. 19:22.868 --> 19:24.888 Trust my word. 19:24.888 --> 19:28.768 The psalmist said, your word, O Lord, is a lamp unto my feet. 19:28.868 --> 19:30.408 It's a light unto my path. 19:30.608 --> 19:35.468 We want, though, God to get out the big spotlight to shine a mile ahead years down the road. 19:35.528 --> 19:36.908 But that's not what God does. 19:37.535 --> 19:44.395 Instead, I think so we're forced to remain dependent upon him each and every step. 19:44.695 --> 19:48.295 He just lights what we need to see, the next steps. 19:49.295 --> 19:54.595 Valley has been built upon the light of God's word, the promises of God. 19:55.155 --> 19:58.395 Every week, we begin the message by saying, open your Bibles. 19:58.983 --> 19:59.902 Now, why do we do that? 19:59.903 --> 20:05.003 Well, because faith is built on the word of God, on the promises of God. 20:05.363 --> 20:11.183 When I was ordained, my dad wrote a note in the cover of my Bible. 20:11.823 --> 20:13.403 And it's a beautiful note. 20:13.463 --> 20:17.603 But one of the things it says is, Andrew, people long to hear from God. 20:17.923 --> 20:19.223 Preach the word. 20:20.448 --> 20:24.128 People long to hear what God has to say. 20:24.628 --> 20:26.088 You see, skeptics want reasons. 20:26.348 --> 20:27.708 Faith claims promises. 20:28.348 --> 20:36.628 God blesses a church who moves forward beyond what can be explained, trusting in God's promises and direction. 20:36.628 --> 20:43.088 Now, five times in these three verses, God says, I will. 20:44.056 --> 20:50.856 I will. He's the subject of blessing. I will bless you. Hey, remember, you're not going to 20:50.856 --> 20:55.656 bless yourself. No one else is going to be blessing you. I am going to be the source 20:55.656 --> 21:02.616 of blessing. Here's our principle. It's God alone who blesses a church and makes her great. 21:03.616 --> 21:07.896 I already touched on this, and we're not going to belabor this point too much, but the key to 21:07.896 --> 21:13.296 Valley Baptist Church, the key to our success has simply been the blessing of God. 21:14.718 --> 21:18.858 For whatever reason, God has chosen to bless us. 21:19.798 --> 21:24.118 I mean, when you think about it, we're all just a bunch of misfits in our own way, right? 21:24.378 --> 21:26.498 Separated from God because of our sin. 21:26.498 --> 21:33.078 And yet God chose to reach down his hand and to touch our lives one by one by one. 21:33.278 --> 21:35.898 And he has brought us into fellowship with him. 21:36.798 --> 21:38.038 That is the grace of God. 21:38.647 --> 21:43.247 Now, in chapter 11, we read and looked at last week the Tower of Babel. 21:43.847 --> 21:49.967 And there at the Tower of Babel, God judged the people for trying to make a great name for themselves. 21:50.147 --> 21:54.047 And yet here, God says to Abram, I'm going to make you a great name. 21:54.507 --> 21:55.446 So what's the difference? 21:55.447 --> 22:01.667 Well, the difference is that those who are building the tower were trying to build a great name for themselves without God. 22:02.862 --> 22:06.762 Their pursuit of greatness was rooted in their sin and their pride. 22:06.842 --> 22:12.862 But with Abraham, God graciously gives him a great name because Abraham was trusting and yielding to God. 22:14.002 --> 22:19.562 Valley Baptist Church, among the Christian world at least, has a great name. 22:20.322 --> 22:24.242 And I thank the Lord for our great name, but that is not what we're after. 22:24.802 --> 22:26.662 We're not after a great name. 22:27.112 --> 22:32.652 We're after making known and great the name of Jesus, spreading it among the nations. 22:32.872 --> 22:37.612 And if God chooses to continue giving us a great name, that would be wonderful. 22:37.892 --> 22:40.912 That would be a blessing because it certainly won't be deserved. 22:41.852 --> 22:46.012 We deserve the punishment of God, the judgment of God. 22:46.072 --> 22:49.712 And yet he has been gracious to us and chosen to bless you. 22:50.072 --> 22:50.391 Bless us. 22:50.392 --> 22:51.772 God says, I will bless you. 22:52.593 --> 22:57.073 and I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. 22:57.233 --> 22:58.793 And then verse number three, he says, 22:59.793 --> 23:03.813 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, 23:03.813 --> 23:08.953 and in you all the families, all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed. 23:08.993 --> 23:11.232 Here's our principle. 23:11.233 --> 23:12.733 God blesses a church. Why? 23:13.733 --> 23:18.133 Well, in order for them to become a blessing to the world. 23:19.053 --> 23:20.052 That's why. 23:20.053 --> 23:21.333 That's why he chose Abraham. 23:21.833 --> 23:26.633 Sometimes we think and start thinking that the blessings of God is all about us. 23:26.873 --> 23:28.192 Hey, this is wonderful. 23:28.193 --> 23:29.292 I love this church. 23:29.293 --> 23:32.593 I love life, the peace and the joy and the love. 23:32.853 --> 23:35.673 And those things are wonderful, but it's not about us. 23:36.433 --> 23:40.393 You see, God's desire is for everyone whom he touches and blesses, 23:40.393 --> 23:46.873 for them to become a channel, a conduit of blessing to those that are around them. 23:47.487 --> 23:50.107 a channel of his love and his mercy and his grace, 23:50.367 --> 23:53.467 a channel of his word, a channel of the gospel. 23:54.787 --> 23:57.227 Sometimes there are people who say 23:57.227 --> 23:58.667 there's a little bit concerned 23:58.667 --> 24:00.667 with how big the church is getting 24:00.667 --> 24:02.327 and they'll ask, well, how big is big enough? 24:03.027 --> 24:04.887 Or how many life groups is enough? 24:04.987 --> 24:07.607 Or how many church plants is enough? 24:07.607 --> 24:10.707 Listen and tell every man, woman, boy and girl 24:10.707 --> 24:12.427 in our city and all around the world 24:12.427 --> 24:14.987 has heard the gospel of Jesus and been saved. 24:15.227 --> 24:17.119 It's never enough. 24:17.120 --> 24:19.020 It is never enough. 24:19.860 --> 24:27.540 My dad used to say that we exist at least on one level for those who are not yet here with us. 24:28.760 --> 24:30.380 My question is, where are they? 24:31.840 --> 24:33.620 Well, they're somewhere in our city. 24:35.260 --> 24:36.640 And they have no hope. 24:36.640 --> 24:38.094 They have no hope. 24:38.095 --> 24:39.975 and they have no life, they're stuck in the misery 24:39.975 --> 24:41.995 of their own sin and their own vices, 24:42.215 --> 24:44.115 and we've got the answer for them. 24:44.355 --> 24:46.395 And someday, someone from our church 24:46.395 --> 24:48.415 or someone from one of the churches we plant 24:48.415 --> 24:51.955 is gonna find them and meet them and get to know them 24:51.955 --> 24:54.495 and start loving on them and share the good news 24:54.495 --> 24:55.634 of Jesus with them. 24:55.635 --> 24:56.054 Why? 24:56.055 --> 24:58.695 Because we're always blessed in order to be a blessing. 24:58.695 --> 25:00.575 That's God's design. 25:01.775 --> 25:04.695 Now, when God told Abraham that, 25:05.450 --> 25:10.690 That in you, all the families and the nations and the people groups of the earth will be blessed. 25:10.910 --> 25:12.470 How was God going to do that? 25:13.330 --> 25:18.330 Well, God gives a little bit more detail to Abraham in chapter 22, verse number 18. 25:18.430 --> 25:19.810 He says, in your seed. 25:20.650 --> 25:22.149 Remember that word? 25:22.150 --> 25:28.350 Through our study of Genesis, in your seed, he says, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 25:28.350 --> 25:31.730 Because you have obeyed my voice. 25:32.433 --> 25:37.113 Now that promised seed is a reference to the promise that God gave to Eve in the Garden of Eden. 25:37.413 --> 25:39.813 It's a reference certainly to the nation of Israel. 25:40.752 --> 25:45.252 But ultimately, the seed is a reference to Jesus. 25:45.912 --> 25:48.992 Paul explains that to us in Galatians 3, verse 16. 25:49.372 --> 25:59.372 He says, 26:04.672 --> 26:05.852 Here's our principle. 26:06.732 --> 26:08.412 God blesses a church. 26:09.355 --> 26:15.655 through Jesus. Amen? That's always how he blesses the church. If you've been a part of Valley 26:15.655 --> 26:19.915 Baptist very long, you've been attending, it hasn't taken you long, I can tell you, for you to come to 26:19.915 --> 26:26.355 realize that we're all about Jesus. We're all about knowing Jesus and loving Jesus and serving 26:26.355 --> 26:31.455 Jesus and making Jesus known. Why? Because Jesus is our only hope. 26:32.558 --> 26:36.918 I'm telling you, Jesus is the only hope this world has. 26:36.918 --> 26:39.018 And Jesus is our savior. 26:39.018 --> 26:40.418 He's our wonderful Lord, 26:40.418 --> 26:42.318 the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 26:42.318 --> 26:46.758 He called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. 26:46.758 --> 26:48.738 So let me be very clear with you today. 26:50.778 --> 26:52.637 Very clear. 26:52.638 --> 26:54.838 If you want to be blessed, 26:55.818 --> 26:59.038 you will only be blessed through Jesus. 26:59.038 --> 27:00.918 You will only be blessed through him. 27:01.567 --> 27:03.247 Now, every human being wants to be blessed. 27:03.347 --> 27:04.347 That's a desire of ours. 27:04.487 --> 27:09.627 You'll be blessed with money, fame, sex appeal, power, you name it. 27:09.947 --> 27:15.147 But you just ask the very few people on the earth who have all that if they're really happy, 27:15.967 --> 27:17.467 and you'll find out that they're not. 27:17.567 --> 27:19.006 Why? 27:19.007 --> 27:24.047 Because they have endeavored to be blessed apart from God. 27:25.816 --> 27:28.676 And that is an exercise in futility. 27:29.176 --> 27:32.736 That was the original sin of Adam and Eve, to be blessed apart from God. 27:32.916 --> 27:34.336 Really, that's all of our sin. 27:34.336 --> 27:42.416 Anytime we're sinning, we're attempting to be blessed apart from God's plan within our life. 27:43.076 --> 27:50.416 Listen, there is no blessing, ultimately speaking, apart from God, apart from a relationship with Jesus. 27:51.516 --> 27:54.076 Now, as we begin wrapping up today. 27:55.702 --> 27:59.062 What is God calling Valley Baptist to today? 28:00.662 --> 28:04.082 He is calling us to be ascending church. 28:04.802 --> 28:12.342 By God's grace, our prayer and our endeavor is to plant or replant 100 churches all up and down the Central Valley, 28:12.442 --> 28:16.382 all throughout Bakersfield, throughout our tenure as your pastors. 28:16.382 --> 28:20.662 Now, that is a massive undertaking that's going to take a lot of resources. 28:20.662 --> 28:22.662 It's going to take a lot of leadership development. 28:22.822 --> 28:24.222 It's going to take a lot of faith. 28:25.047 --> 28:30.047 But most of all, it's gonna take the blessing of God. 28:30.927 --> 28:33.547 Robert Moffat was a missionary to South Africa 28:33.547 --> 28:36.247 who labored there for many, many years 28:36.247 --> 28:39.667 without a single person coming to faith in Jesus. 28:39.667 --> 28:40.787 And after a number of years, 28:40.787 --> 28:43.947 some people back home in England wrote to him 28:43.947 --> 28:46.827 and said they wanted to send him a gift on his anniversary. 28:46.827 --> 28:48.727 They asked him what he would like. 28:48.727 --> 28:50.967 Well, he wrote back to them and he said, 28:50.967 --> 28:54.147 "'I would like you to send a communion set 28:54.916 --> 28:58.756 And they were dumbfounded by that because he was the only Christian around. 28:58.836 --> 29:01.556 Why do you need a communion set if you're the only Christian? 29:02.456 --> 29:04.816 But they went ahead and sent one on ahead. 29:04.816 --> 29:12.476 And it arrived the day before they were scheduled to take communion with six brand new Christ followers. 29:13.476 --> 29:14.696 That's faith. 29:15.676 --> 29:22.616 To believe God and to believe his direction in our lives long before we can fully see it. 29:23.519 --> 29:33.719 We believe that God is calling us to send out hundreds and even thousands of people from our church in the coming decades in order to plant churches. 29:34.579 --> 29:39.359 Now, we felt God putting that on our heart just a couple of years ago. 29:39.479 --> 29:45.019 And so we shared it with you really before we had a plan for how we're going to accomplish it. 29:45.558 --> 29:51.498 Well, God started blessing long before we knew how we were going to tackle it. 29:51.578 --> 29:56.458 In fact, in the last 13 months, we've sent out two teams, each with a pastor, 29:57.258 --> 30:01.018 to replant some struggling churches here in town. 30:01.218 --> 30:04.698 And both of those churches are doing very, very well today. 30:05.078 --> 30:10.245 Amen. 30:10.246 --> 30:14.406 Now here's the thing that we're finding out over the last 13 months. 30:15.186 --> 30:16.906 We can't out-send God. 30:18.093 --> 30:21.793 Now, as a Christian, I've always known that I can't out-give God. 30:22.153 --> 30:25.813 I mean, you try out-giving God, he just keeps on blessing you. 30:25.973 --> 30:30.073 But we're learning experientially, we also can't out-send God. 30:30.673 --> 30:38.113 We send a couple pastors, several deacons, and over a hundred of solid Christian people out with those two church plants. 30:38.433 --> 30:42.073 And right now, we are bigger than we've ever been in the history of our church. 30:42.427 --> 30:47.027 It's almost like the Holy Spirit knows what he's doing, right? 30:47.207 --> 30:51.087 As he leads us, it's almost like he's been ahead of us, 30:51.187 --> 30:55.167 blessing us the whole time, which he certainly has. 30:55.887 --> 31:02.067 In the last two years, we've had nearly 40 young men and women 31:02.067 --> 31:05.107 come forward and announce to our church family 31:05.107 --> 31:07.887 that they believe God is calling them into full-time ministry. 31:09.342 --> 31:15.102 Now, if you add to that group all those who are talking with us about that possibility, 31:15.202 --> 31:20.082 but have not yet announced it to the church, that number goes up to 58. 31:22.462 --> 31:24.561 58. 31:24.562 --> 31:28.982 God is doing something incredible in the life of our church. 31:29.062 --> 31:30.541 What's he doing? 31:30.542 --> 31:31.822 He's blessing us. 31:33.182 --> 31:34.462 Do we deserve it? 31:34.462 --> 31:35.401 I don't. 31:35.402 --> 31:37.901 I don't. 31:37.902 --> 31:39.162 But he's blessing us. 31:40.814 --> 31:44.374 And he's not blessing us so we can just soak it all up 31:44.374 --> 31:48.214 and let's be fat and happy right here and just enjoy ourselves. 31:48.294 --> 31:52.494 No, he's blessing us so we can be a blessing to the world. 31:53.554 --> 31:58.374 To send people out as we disciple them and teach them how to love Jesus 31:58.374 --> 32:01.494 and how to follow him and teach them about his word 32:01.494 --> 32:04.074 and to equip them as leaders. 32:05.074 --> 32:08.714 He's calling us to send them out from us. 32:09.383 --> 32:14.103 so they can be a blessing to whoever God sends them to. 32:14.803 --> 32:17.863 Now let's bow together in an attitude of prayer, both here and at Olive Drive. 32:17.943 --> 32:23.403 This is a holy moment, a very holy moment in the life of our church. 32:24.663 --> 32:30.043 This has been a message about how God blesses a church. 32:30.683 --> 32:37.743 But a church is simply a collection of individuals who God has blessed through Jesus. 32:39.792 --> 32:44.712 Maybe today you're in desperate need of the blessing of God. 32:46.592 --> 32:48.192 You've wondered about God. 32:48.292 --> 32:49.632 You've thought about God. 32:51.972 --> 32:55.152 It's made sense in your mind that he exists, but you've never known him. 32:56.512 --> 33:01.732 There's not any sense in which you've ever said, man, God has really blessed me in this way. 33:02.332 --> 33:05.652 Maybe you're going through something very difficult. 33:07.152 --> 33:08.672 A loss of a loved one. 33:10.049 --> 33:12.768 an addiction. 33:12.769 --> 33:15.009 Maybe you're going through something 33:15.009 --> 33:16.849 where someone that you love so very much 33:16.849 --> 33:20.329 has wounded you deeper than you ever could have imagined. 33:20.469 --> 33:21.769 Maybe you're the person 33:21.769 --> 33:24.089 who's wounded some loved ones deeper 33:24.089 --> 33:26.388 than you could have imagined. 33:26.389 --> 33:28.529 And you've come to a place in your life 33:28.529 --> 33:32.809 where it's as if you almost have no more hope. 33:35.349 --> 33:37.669 Ah, there is hope in Jesus. 33:38.872 --> 33:41.872 Please know that God wants to bless you today. 33:42.872 --> 33:44.392 He loves blessing people. 33:44.512 --> 33:45.652 That's His specialty. 33:47.112 --> 33:52.772 But He never blesses those who try to be blessed apart from Him. 33:53.972 --> 33:57.532 You can try to be blessed in all these different avenues and different pursuits, 33:57.672 --> 33:59.832 but you will come up empty every time. 34:01.652 --> 34:08.372 He only blesses those who humble themselves before Him and receive His blessings. 34:09.500 --> 34:12.139 By faith. 34:12.140 --> 34:14.740 Now, by faith in what? 34:15.580 --> 34:16.580 By faith in whom? 34:16.820 --> 34:20.580 Well, by faith in his son, Jesus. 34:21.660 --> 34:27.600 You see, the Bible says that for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son 34:27.600 --> 34:33.080 that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 34:33.665 --> 34:37.505 For by grace we are saved, the Bible says, through faith. 34:37.585 --> 34:38.605 It's not of ourselves. 34:38.705 --> 34:41.445 It's not of works, lest any man should boast. 34:42.065 --> 34:46.465 The Bible says, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 34:46.545 --> 34:49.645 You see, God loves us so much that he sent his son. 34:49.925 --> 34:51.045 He's eternal son. 34:51.822 --> 34:54.422 who willingly came and died on the cross, 34:54.542 --> 34:56.562 paying for the penalty of our sin 34:56.562 --> 34:58.442 so that we could be forgiven 34:58.442 --> 35:02.942 and have eternal life with him in heaven, 35:03.282 --> 35:07.322 but also so we could have abundant life here on earth. 35:07.682 --> 35:09.782 I want to invite you to get to know him today. 35:10.582 --> 35:13.762 It might seem like that's a hard thing to do, 35:14.182 --> 35:16.742 but really God's done all the heavy lifting. 35:17.562 --> 35:18.882 He's given you a gift. 35:19.002 --> 35:20.802 He's extending it to you right now. 35:22.062 --> 35:24.462 you've got to receive it. 35:24.462 --> 35:27.682 You've got to grab hold of it and take hold of it 35:27.682 --> 35:29.002 and open it up. 35:29.002 --> 35:31.002 And the only way that you do that 35:32.035 --> 35:33.674 It's through faith. 35:33.675 --> 35:37.115 You cannot work hard enough to earn God's favor. 35:37.235 --> 35:38.575 You cannot do enough. 35:39.295 --> 35:43.895 You must receive the blessing of God by faith. 35:44.175 --> 35:47.355 I want to invite you to do that in just a moment at both of our campuses. 35:47.555 --> 35:48.814 We're going to stand. 35:48.815 --> 35:51.435 We're going to have pastors and leaders all across the front here. 35:51.435 --> 35:55.855 And we're going to invite you as we sing for you just to step out from wherever you're at. 35:56.369 --> 36:01.449 Walk down one of these aisles, walk down one of these staircases and say, I want to give my life to Christ. 36:02.269 --> 36:04.569 These folks will know exactly how to help you. 36:04.609 --> 36:06.129 They're not going to embarrass you in any way. 36:06.909 --> 36:11.009 Now, some people are tempted to think, well, man, I can't do that because I got all this junk in my life. 36:11.069 --> 36:13.329 I got to clean this thing up before I come to Jesus. 36:13.509 --> 36:15.888 No, no, no, no, no. 36:15.889 --> 36:17.089 You come as you are. 36:19.089 --> 36:23.169 Burdens and weights and failures and addictions and all. 36:24.112 --> 36:26.272 You come and you bring him to Jesus. 36:27.412 --> 36:30.632 And you watch what Jesus will do as you give your life to him. 36:31.352 --> 36:35.232 He'll come into your life and he will help you every step of the way. 36:36.232 --> 36:41.872 Maybe you say, I want to be baptized like many others in our church family were baptized today. 36:42.012 --> 36:44.512 Or I want to join this church family, you know. 36:44.892 --> 36:48.052 Maybe for some time you've been kind of an outsider looking in. 36:50.251 --> 36:51.811 But now you're like, you know what? 36:51.871 --> 36:55.531 I want to belong in an official way 36:55.531 --> 36:58.751 to become a member right here at Valley Baptist Church. 36:58.831 --> 37:00.231 You come forward and you let us know. 37:00.291 --> 37:01.891 We'd love to visit with you about that. 37:02.451 --> 37:04.770 Let's pray. 37:04.771 --> 37:05.971 Our Heavenly Father, 37:07.071 --> 37:08.831 thank you 37:08.831 --> 37:12.171 for Valley Baptist Church. 37:18.511 --> 37:20.011 It's been my family. 37:22.735 --> 37:23.775 for many, many decades. 37:25.915 --> 37:30.435 Thank you, Lord, for our founding pastors. 37:30.715 --> 37:34.295 Thank you for all the men and women that have gone before us 37:34.295 --> 37:36.815 that are now with you in heaven in your presence. 37:37.535 --> 37:41.235 Thank you for their sacrifice, their generosity, 37:41.235 --> 37:45.135 their commitment, their service. 37:47.272 --> 37:56.552 Lord, would you stir in our hearts collectively and individually a love for you and people 37:56.552 --> 38:05.292 that will help us have the strength and the grit that it's going to take 38:05.292 --> 38:09.032 to live out your mission and your vision in our lives? 38:10.762 --> 38:15.582 And Lord, I ask that right now that you would go beyond what I've been able to say 38:15.582 --> 38:20.242 and that you would touch hearts at a deep level by your spirit. 38:22.742 --> 38:27.782 Lord, if there's anyone on the outside of you looking in, 38:29.282 --> 38:32.862 on the outside of your intimate blessing in their life, 38:34.555 --> 38:38.995 I pray, Lord, that you'd wake them up today to that reality. 38:39.855 --> 38:44.155 And they'd hear your still small voice calling them to yourself, 38:44.335 --> 38:47.735 calling them to a life that's blessed. 38:49.135 --> 38:51.135 Please do that which we can't do. 38:51.295 --> 38:53.155 We ask in Jesus' powerful name. 38:53.675 --> 38:55.074 Amen. 38:55.075 --> 38:56.135 Thanks for listening today. 38:56.475 --> 38:57.955 We hope you enjoyed this message. 38:58.195 --> 39:01.335 And if you did, we would be so grateful if you left us a review. 39:01.995 --> 39:04.095 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 39:04.095 --> 39:06.955 if you would like to be notified when a new sermon is released. 39:07.555 --> 39:10.695 If you feel the Lord calling you to take the next step in faith 39:10.695 --> 39:14.575 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 39:15.190 --> 39:18.650 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 39:18.650 --> 39:22.190 That's podcast to 88988 or connect with us 39:22.190 --> 39:24.570 on one of our social media platforms. 39:24.570 --> 39:27.710 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 39:27.710 --> 39:30.290 to find even more great resources. 39:30.290 --> 39:32.490 No matter where you are in your journey, 39:32.490 --> 39:35.210 know that we love you, we're praying for you 39:35.210 --> 39:38.170 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.