well, Good morning Mission Grove. Welcome to all who are here in person or watching online. It is officially november Here in 2020. We've made it so far Only 17 months ago to finish up this year that is 2020 or at least it feels like it right. I think we need to change the meaning of the word leap year And every single year I think we should just get to skip one and just jump ahead I think would be great. But, but you know, even in the middle of all the chaos and everything that's kind of crazy out there is that we still find incredible blessings that are available to us. If we're looking for for example, this past week I had the chance two and the privilege to bring saddle creek coffee. I believe the best coffee here in the valley. We got to take some Saddle creek coffee out to the teachers and staff at wildfire elementary School. And I think we can agree that here in 2020 there has never been a time where our appreciation for teachers is higher. So thank you. Let's thank all the teachers that are out there. That's awesome. And if you're clapping watching it at home, that's great. Not necessary. But I appreciate the collapse as well. But uh, no, it was, it's so great to uh, just bless the teachers because we are so in desperate need for them and I was reminded of that in the first six weeks there where we were teaching our kids at home. I think part of why we are grateful for our teachers is not only for their ability to put up with kids and have patience and and carouse such a large group of Children at a time but also to retain information. I found myself trying to teach my second grader concepts by actually going online and relearning the concepts myself. Things that. Have you seen that Tv show are you smarter than 1\/5 grader? I had to lower that standard for myself and teaching concepts to my kiddos. Well one of those concepts I was working through with my son carter was he was learning about the basics of maps. You know maps and pictures that show relationships between objects and there's all kinds of maps, you know and there's maps for you know the new york city subway system? There's maps for hiking trails or if you're going to Washington D. C. You can see a map for all the monuments or even walking here on premises. Today there's a map for the Desert ridge marketplace. And so maps show the relationships between objects or things but sometimes they can be hard to understand. And so as I was trying to teach my son carter about the basics of maps, I couldn't help but be reminded of a song that got stuck in my head when my kids were younger. From the show the door the Explorer. Do you guys remember this Door of the Explorer and as I think about it, there's some questionable parenting techniques of letting their preschooler go out into the wilderness with random talking animals. But that's for a message of a different time. But no, because I'm your friend and your pastor and because misery loves company. I want to share with you the song that got stuck in my head because once you hear this song, you can't unhurt the song. And so I want to share this incredibly deep and rich lyrical masterpiece that comes from Dora The Explorer. Go Ahead and check this out. Mhm. Mhm. If there's a place you gotta go, I'm the one you need to know. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. If there's a place you gotta get, I can get you there. I bet I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. You're welcome, you're welcome. I can just picture this week. You're heading into that very important business meeting and out of nowhere you're going to start going on the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. I'm the map. You know, I think what I love about that song is just the depth Of the meaning of the lyrics, you know, the 1st 20 times they say map. I didn't get it, but the 21st right here, right? And so know this song popped in my head and I was trying to teach my son about the basics of the different symbols found on maps and I did what any good loving parent would do. And I go to google and as I was reading about the different concepts of maps. What stuck out to me was this description of what's called a map key. And rather than just say it for verbatim for me, I want to actually read to you what came off of this educational website about a description of a map Key says the map key is included with a map to unlock it just like your house key opens your front door, a map key opens a map. The map gives you all the information you need for it to make sense. If you don't have a map key to explain all the symbols, the map itself doesn't make much sense at all. Now why I like that description is because I started thinking about life as a map. And how really our map key. What helps us make sense is the bible, the word of God. And if you replace that same description, if you replace map with the word life and map key with the word bible, it reads like this, a bible is included with life to help you unlock it just like your house key opens up your front door. The bible opens up life the bible gives you all the information you need for life to make sense. But if you don't have the bible to explain the symbols, life itself doesn't make much sense at all. Over the last couple of weeks, we've began this discussion about hearing the voice of God and while we play that silly song from Dora, I want you to think about life as a map and the word of God as our map key. Because without it it gets pretty confusing to understand at times. Right? Let's just take like, let's just say here, let's just say for a moment that this map represents a list Of all the problems we've encountered here in 2020. Okay, that doesn't really seem to do it justice. Okay, here's a better representation of all the problems and conflicts we've encountered and 2020 lots of bumps and lines and colors and roads and different ways to go and we've encountered all kinds of issues. Well, I'm here to tell you today that without the map key of scripture, it's gonna be really difficult to navigate through this year. It's really going to be difficult to make sense of all the issues that would come across in our culture today. And so over the next few minutes, I want to talk about this idea. If you're taking notes, I want you to write this down. Is that the bible? It's not only how God has spoken, but also how God is still speaking. The bible is not only how God has spoken, but also how God is still speaking to us today. Now I want to pause here for a moment and just give you permission to have doubts and questions. This is not in a apologetic message. And so if there's some of you watching online or stumbling across this on social media or maybe here in person who came from an invitation of a friend, you might be sitting there saying, well, I don't know if I believe that. I don't know if I believe everything that's in this word and it probably just came from humans. Anyway, I want to give you permission to have doubts and I have questions because our God is big enough to handle your doubts and your questions. The only thing I ask is that you are skeptical enough. Don't just ask the question, seek to find the answer and I believe that when you do that, you will come to the same conclusion that I have. And that is the bible is the inerrant word of God. I'm reminded repeatedly of my own mistakes and how powerful God's word is. In contrast to my life, exhibit a I have no idea how to spell the word. Inerrant. I remember turning in a paper, I was about to to turn in a nice seminary paper for a grade entitled the inerrancy of scripture, but right before I hit print I saw that little Microsoft word red line that I had misspelled inerrancy. So thankfully the bible is not written by me, but rather it was written by men who had direct interaction with jesus and that if you have doubts, if you have questions, I just want to encourage you to lean in today, just listen to what I have to say, test what I'm saying. Ask your questions. I'd love to talk with you after service if you have more. But I believe if you take a deeper dive into this word, you're gonna find that there is more historical evidence for the accuracy of the bible than any other ancient Near East documents. And there's not it's not even close. It was written by people who interacted with jesus. And we're talking to new testament here Over 1600 years, 40 different authors, 66 different books, multiple languages without a single contradiction. And that same message of salvation coming through jesus. And now we have more copies of the bible in circulation today than any other piece of literature in all of world history. And so does the most talked about most written about most scrutinized document in the world and in thousands of years, no one has been able to disprove it. There is more historical events captured, described successes, failures of the human race documented in this book. And so don't just think of it as some fable written years ago that we can take. Well I like that, I don't like that. But instead think about these as real people, writing about real stories. And so the gospels were firsthand accounts of what happened? And and so it talks about that with with all the human mistakes. And it talks about jesus. And so you have the resurrection, the event of the resurrection of jesus that sparks the movement that then gives us the bible. It's the birth certificate, the proof of the resurrection of jesus. But even if you question the birth certificate, you can look at the person of jesus and you look at the spirit of God and you can look at how God is moving. And so I just want to encourage you that if you have doubts, you have my permission to have them. But lean into your skepticism and see what God has to say to you today. And let's see what God's word says about God himself. First Hebrews chapter four verse 12, It says for the word of God is living and active. The bible again is not only how God has spoken, but also how God is still speaking. First Peter, chapter one verse 23 Peter is writing to a group of people who have experienced worse persecution, worse government conflict, worse social injustices than anything we're facing today. And in the middle of all this conflict, he writes this that since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but if imperishable through the living and abiding word of God, That word abiding means to dwell. And so the idea here is that do you make your home in the Word of God? And does the Word of God make its home in you? And it's not on the screen? But that verse continues that the flowers of the field will fade and that the grass will wither. But that the Word of God will live forever. We also see in psalm chapter 1 19 someone, 19 verse 105, It says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path. Now, I've seen that verse many times on coffee mugs and decorative plates and cool looking photos on instagram and social media, but notice what this verse assumes Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, That sounds great. But pause for a moment. Why would you need a lamp or a light in the first place? It's because you're surrounded by darkness. You don't need a lamp during the day. You need a lamp during the night. And in the same way when we are surrounded by darkness here in this year, 2020, when we are surrounded by uncertainty and conflict and criticism and biting from people back and forth within the church outside of the church, different political views. People going back and forth. There are sinful addictions and depression and anxiety and all these issues that people are facing as we are surrounded by darkness. The word is described as a lamp and as a light. And then there's this really cool passage found in Hebrews, Hebrews chapter one verses one through three, it says long ago at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. So hey, way back when you know, if you heard, you know your grandparents say when I was a kid, we walked uphill to school both ways. You know if you've heard those stories, okay, here's this case. Way back when God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but notice what it says here. But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son. Now I'll pause here for a moment because in the language that it was written, it's literally talking about language. So here in the United States we speak english, okay. If you live in Germany you speak german, if you're in china, you speak like mandarin or chinese. If you're in brazil, you speak Portuguese, Someone said Brazilian last service and it's okay. I that was me. So anyway, um, but the idea is is that No one has ever seen God, but God spoke a language that we could understand. So as we speak english, german speak german. God speaks christ, the gospel of john john chapter one the very first verse says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. And so here's where it gets really cool too, is because when you speak the language of God speak the language of love and how you talk to people and how you love people and how you serve people. The way that jesus did something clicks. This is where this first gets really cool though. Let's let's check it out. So he's spoken to us by his son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom he also created the world, pause for a second. How did God in this case referring to jesus here, how did jesus create the world? He spoke it into existence. Those simple words let there be light and it's still creating Galaxies today. Think about that he spoke and nothingness became something darkness became light and that's the same power. Now hold on to that, let's continue going. He says that he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. This this is really cool. Okay, follow me for a second, jesus, who is the word spoke the world into existence, by the power of his word. And now upholds the universe with the word of his power. Amen, I only got one. Amen. So let's try that again because that's pretty cool. Think about this, God spoke the world into existence by the power of his word and now sustains our existence by the word of his power. Amen. That's pretty awesome, That's some serious power and that's the power that we have access to If we acknowledge it and let it be the map key. The key that unlocks life. Paul writes a letter and called 2nd Timothy Chapter three and he's writing to Timothy, seen as like a spiritual God's son, someone that he's raised up, someone that he has put forth is now a leading a church in Ephesus and Paul is in prison and he's getting to his last days. And when you're speaking to a loved one in your last days, you don't hold punches and you just speak truth and you speak it with affection and emotion and you say what's on your heart and we don't have time to go fully into chapter three verses one through nine is really uplifting. Talking about the godlessness of last days. Honestly, it seems prophetic. If you have time go back, encourage you to read second timothy, Chapter three verses one through nine talks about all the biting back and forth the line, the deception, how people will choose creation over the creator, that they will start believing the lies following their own desires. But then we come to verse 10 and paul the least likely of disciples, the least likely of apostles, someone who was persecuting christians, but had an interactive interaction and transformative experience with God now becomes a preacher of the gospel starts planting churches, raising up leaders like timothy and he leads this message and he gives this message to his spiritual God's son in his final days, he says, But you however, have followed my teaching and my conduct and my aim in life and you followed my faith and my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch and I can um endless tra which persecutions I endured. So it's not rose colored glasses, he's not saying, hey, believe this and everything will be great, but he says yet from them, oh, the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived it has for you. And I highlight that verse on the screen because I love butts in the bible, I love butts in the bible because because anytime you see that you see a complete reversal, so like he's saying, the whole world is going this way, the whole world is going down, it's like but you but you continue and what you've learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood, you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in christ jesus, here's where we get to land the plane, All scripture is breathed out by God. I want to pause here week one of our, our series, we talked about how God spoke to elijah and whisper. And the whisper? It can only happen when you're close Because it comes out at about 10-15 decibels because when you whisper it's personal, it's close and God didn't speak to Elijah through the earthquake, through the fire, through the wind. But in a whisper in that same breath, this is power that we have in scripture that is breathed by God as if when we read scripture, God says I'm here when you're depressed, when you're anxious, when you are worried, I'm here when you're stressed out when you're facing addiction, when you are down and you feel like there is no hope, you feel ashamed of your past and you feel in this downward spiral that everyone's against me, I can't even be for me. How could anyone love me? And God says here, I loved you're mine, you have purpose, you have value, I love you. I sent my son jesus to die for you. You have grace and joy and forgiveness and mercy going to empower you. So we have this in his word. And what is it good for? It says it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. But the man of God may be complete equipped for every good work that you can be found mature, but you can be found growing up steadfast strong equipped to do what God has called you to do. So how does the bible actually help us? What gives us four words I want to break down. This comes from pastor and commentator Warren were spin. He describes his patches in this way that the bible helps us in these four ways. Number one, the bible helps, you know what is right, That's teaching, that's doctrine. It helps you know what is right. You can't identify the lie unless you know the truth, but in scripture it says if you know the truth, the truth shall set you free in the same way jesus also told his disciples, I am the way the truth the life. So it'll help you know what is right? That's teaching, that's doctrine, that's soundness, that's the word that doesn't change. But secondly the bible also helps you know what is not right? That's for proof. I don't love stepping on the scale these days because the numbers are nice to me as they once were at least. I don't think so. I wish we could change scales altogether and when you step on them, it just shows signs of affirmations. You know how you're feeling that day. Like maybe you step on the scale, you're doing pretty good. Alright, step up. Like you know what? Don't worry about it. You had a hard week step off like okay, john we really should start talking. I'm like, wait, hold on a second, you're supposed to offer me? No, the numbers are not good or bad. It's just a scale or a standard from which we can see ourselves and we have standards for everything. Natural law, science, mathematics, budget, finances, business, you know, teaching when a teacher gives a test right, there are right and wrong answers in school and and why? Well there's a standard to follow. The bible, gives us the standard and if you don't have a standard to go off of, you just always say that you're right. It's like playing darts. Imagine the CB live sign behind me as a dartboard. But instead of going after the bullseye, I just throw the dart and then wherever my dart lands, I just draw a bulls eye. I win every time. That's how a lot of people these days are treating life? Oh, bullseye. Hey, you weren't even looking, you didn't even hit the board, It wasn't even close. Hey, don't tell us about how I feel. I feel like I hit the bull's eye. My bull's eye is different than your bullseye. No, there there is subjective feelings, but there is objective truth and I find it interesting that there are people that will call out Christianity for intolerance when that statement itself is a judgment. So how do you know what's right? How do you know what's true? How do you know what's real? I'm gonna go with the word everlasting from God that works in every time, Every culture, every place and has for thousands of years. So the bible helps you know what is right? The bible helps. You know what is not right. Number three, the Bible helps you to get right. That's correction. Can you imagine if you were going, you were driving down the road and your gps on your phone just said you're lost, Good luck. Know what happens when you're driving? When you make a wrong turn, it just goes rerouting we routing. That's what scripture does when we get off course. When we get off alignment, when we read his word rerouting for grace and mercy and truth and transformation and empowerment and endurance and joy comes from. So bible helps you know what is right? It helps, you know what is not right. It helps you know how to get right. And lastly it helps you know how to stay right? That's training, you're able to build up for the task in front of you. Some people look at this year 2020 and think God, why me? How could you? I have a little bit different perspective and that is God must have thought, we could handle this. God must have thought, okay, these christians, this church right here at this time with all this craziness and chaos going on. They're ready and how do I know that? That's how the church started. It took 12 guys, one betrayed him, one doubted him, one denied him when jesus died. None of them believed jesus was coming back. They locked themselves up in a room, they made all kinds of mistakes And yet God gave them the keys and said, here you go, I will build my church and go make disciples And he entrusted with them the greatest mission that this world has ever seen. And now here, we are 2000 years later following in the same faith and footsteps of those early disciples church, we're ready and we're ready right now. We know that because we have the bible which helps us, you know what is right, which helps us to know what is not right, what helps us to get right and helps us to stay right and so what can you do this week? Well all I want you to do to make a map. Another reason why I played that song, make a map and here's what I mean. Make a plan, Make a plan. Don't overcomplicate it. Just get intentional. Love is also spelled T I M E spends time in case you weren't tracking with that love is intentional when you make time for the ones you care about. So are you willing to make time for God this week in his word, make a plan. Don't overcomplicate it. Just do three things. Okay. First ask the question and answer it. What am I gonna read, decide? What are you going to read? We've never read before. I encourage you to start in one of the four gospels Matthew Mark luke or john read about the story of jesus other great, easy starting points. If you're just getting into it is the Book of James or the Book of Colossians. But just decide what you're going to read. Second, decide when are you going to read it? Just be intentional. Don't overwhelm yourself with it. Just just be intentional, decided when you're gonna read it. And then the final question is, where are you going to read it? If you can answer those three questions before you leave today about what you're going to read, When are you going to read it? And where are you going to read it? I promise you God's gonna speak to you this week because the bible is not only how God has spoken, but also how God is still speaking. And so I was on a prayer walk behind my house. It started out as a prayer run, but I'm out of shape so quickly turned to a prayer walk and I've shared with you that I tend to connect with God and nature. And so I'm in the desert behind my house and I'm processing this week's message in my head, I'm giving up to God and I'm just praying my God, what story can I tell? What illustration can I give to connect the power that's available to us in your word and no joke as I'm standing there in the desert between joe max and pinnacle peak. I just here and I look up and this is an image. I just took it off my phone and without thinking I'm standing under these massive power lines and I drive by these power lines every day. But do you ever see something but not really see it? Mhm. That was one of those moments for me like I drive by these every day and I don't see them at the same time here there is so much power that is bringing power to thousands of buildings and homes and businesses and in neighborhoods we sometimes forget because in Arizona a lot of the electricity then goes underground. You don't see it just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not there. And as crazy as it is to think about driving past these polls and these wires every day and forgetting the power that actually comes from them is to forget about the power that actually have access to have you heard somebody say this that you have more power in your phone than what Nasa had to land someone on the moon just a few decades ago. It's true. There is more computing power in your mobile device right now than what Nasa had to land someone on the moon. Do you wanna know something even crazier than that. We have the power that spoke the world into existence through the power of his word lived a perfect life gave us the language of God showed us what it means to love, laid down his life for you and for me, defeated death, the same power that conquered the grave and defeated death now available to us, and the same power that now he sustains our very breath by the word of his power. It now has access to the spirit and his word With all the chaos here in 2020. I find myself asking God, do you know what's going on? Do you see this? You know our kids at home, you know when they start fighting mom, Dad, did you see this? He did this, She did that sometimes I find myself playing that role to God God. Do you see what they're doing over here? But what's crazy is that God is sustaining my breath. Everyone take a deep breath right now. I can only do that. You can only do that because God allows you to. And so now I find myself taking a deep breath and using the breath that God has given me to question whether or not he knows what he's doing this week. Just being real this week. Could be one of the craziest weeks all year for our country. And I don't know who's gonna be sitting in the oval office come january, but I do know regardless of who wins that Our God is still sitting on his throne, we have a God who is the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow and we have access to God because the bible is not only how God has spoken, but also how God is speaking. And so if we are willing to make a map to make a plan to use this as a key to unlock the meaning of life, God is ready and willing to speak to us today. So in closing, I want to spend time, here is the church family and in just a moment the band's gonna come up on stage and we're going to pass out the communion elements. Now for safety protocols, they're individually wrapped already and it does take a little bit longer to open them. So I encourage you actually as the music's playing, to go ahead and open them, open the bread and the jews to be ready so that we can take it together. But it was there in that upper room when they shared communion that jesus said to do this in remembrance of me and then the early church would regularly do this to remember the power of God and the power that's available to you. Just because we don't see it or notice it doesn't mean it's not there, but God is speaking. Are you listening? God hasn't just spoken? He is still speaking. And I believe God has a special word for you. If you are willing to humble yourself and open up to what God's word has for you and if you do that, you're gonna experience the power of God's promises like never before. Let's pray Dear Heavenly Father. I just thank you for your son. Thank you that your word is living and active. Thank you That it is the key that unlocks the meaning of life. That God we can know you personally. If we are just willing to take intentional time with you, help us to love you more today. Help us to remember the sacrifice that you gave. Help us to experience your forgiveness. We don't deserve your love. We don't deserve your truth. But yet you've offered it not because we love you, but because you first loved us. Mm hmm. So may we get in your word this week? We connect to your power this week. In these next moments. Maybe remember your power working through us. It's in your sense that we pray. Will you please receive the elements with me. So they're in the upper room, jesus in the intimate moment with his closest of friends. Mm hmm. Mhm passed out the bread and said this bread represents my body which I give as a sacrifice for you. Let us take together. Mm hmm. Right. Mhm And then passed a cup of wine. And so this is a symbol that represents my blood shed for you in remembrance of God's power demonstrated on the cross. Let us drink this together as a church for you. Mm hmm. Dear God. We remember your power. We remember your word. We know that you spoke this world into existence by the power of your word. And now you sustain our existence with the word of your power in that same power that conquered the grave is now available to those watching online. To those here in this room and the believers worldwide, God, thank you for saving us. Thank you for loving us in your son's name. We pray Amen, I wanna invite you to stand and to close out the service singing together to praise the king who sits on his throne and in his power is the key to our life, let's say As you go throughout this week again, it's gonna be a crazy one. Let us remember to show love and to honor and the show light and unity here in this crazy week for our country. Be praying for our nation. Are praying for our leaders and know that regardless of who wins the election, God still sits on his throne. That is power is available to you and to me and that we can know that God is for you because God is for you. That means that we are for you and together we can continue to be for the community. So let us live this week. Not in fear, not an uncertainty but with courage and with faith and with power and trust that God is still speaking today and got us ready and willing to speak to you whether you're watching online or you're in the room or even later you're listening to this on podcasts, wherever you are, wherever you go, God has the ability to meet you where you are. You don't have to be right. You don't have to act right, you just have to be available and open. And so I want to challenge you to do that this week And then go and be a blessing to others as God has blessed and loved us. God bless, we love you have an incredible week. If you want to hang out for lunch, we're doing lunch there at 12:00 at California Pizza kitchen. If you're newer with us or you just want to hear more about from me and our staff are just get a free meal for your family, whatever the case may be, you're invited to join us here and just stop by the info table, let us know or just come over and see us here at 12 o'clock at California Pizza kitchen next door. We love you guys have a great week, you are dismissed. Amen.