WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.880 Today, we are going to practice peace. 2 00:00:04.840 --> 00:00:07.280 Posture is a short, audible fist bump 3 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:10.160 to remind you God is with you in everything. 4 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:12.160 Together, we're going to be emboldened 5 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:14.720 to take a daily posture of perfect peace. 6 00:00:16.360 --> 00:00:20.480 In Psalm chapter four, verses six through eight, 7 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:21.740 David writes, 8 00:00:21.740 --> 00:00:26.740 Many people say, who will show us better times? 9 00:00:27.380 --> 00:00:28.220 I feel like a lot of people 10 00:00:28.220 --> 00:00:30.740 are asking that question right now. 11 00:00:30.740 --> 00:00:35.180 Then David writes, let your face smile on us, Lord. 12 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:38.380 You have given me greater joy 13 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:43.380 than those who have abundant harvest of grain and new wine. 14 00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:47.940 In peace, I will lie down and sleep. 15 00:00:47.940 --> 00:00:51.420 For you alone, oh Lord, will keep me safe. 16 00:00:52.740 --> 00:00:56.620 Peace is very different in the kingdom of God. 17 00:00:56.620 --> 00:00:59.140 It's not elusive like the world's peace. 18 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:00.900 It doesn't have to be conjured up. 19 00:01:00.900 --> 00:01:02.780 It doesn't have to be contended for. 20 00:01:02.780 --> 00:01:03.820 It can't be lost. 21 00:01:03.820 --> 00:01:04.660 It can't be broken. 22 00:01:04.660 --> 00:01:07.300 It can't be stolen from you. 23 00:01:07.300 --> 00:01:10.660 Because in the kingdom, peace is not a calming feeling 24 00:01:10.660 --> 00:01:15.180 or a calming environment or a calming circumstance. 25 00:01:15.180 --> 00:01:19.220 Our peace is a calming presence. 26 00:01:19.220 --> 00:01:21.140 Our peace is not circumstantial 27 00:01:21.220 --> 00:01:23.180 because our peace is a person. 28 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:25.900 Jesus is our Prince of Peace and he never changes. 29 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:28.020 The Bible says in Hebrews 13, five, 30 00:01:28.020 --> 00:01:31.660 he never leaves us nor forsakes us. 31 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:36.740 The Bible also says that we are now one with Christ. 32 00:01:36.740 --> 00:01:38.540 You are in Christ. 33 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:42.260 Ephesians chapter two is a great place to read about that. 34 00:01:42.260 --> 00:01:44.820 And Christ is in you. 35 00:01:44.820 --> 00:01:48.660 Romans eight is another great place to explore this truth. 36 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:51.260 So you are one with peace himself. 37 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:52.820 You are in union with peace, 38 00:01:52.820 --> 00:01:57.820 which means you always have peace in any circumstance. 39 00:01:57.980 --> 00:01:59.420 If you're in a place right now 40 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:02.380 where peace just doesn't feel very real to you 41 00:02:02.380 --> 00:02:05.860 or there doesn't seem to be any evidence of it in your life, 42 00:02:05.860 --> 00:02:08.820 it's not an access issue, 43 00:02:08.820 --> 00:02:11.020 meaning you have no access to this peace. 44 00:02:11.020 --> 00:02:12.900 And it's not an availability issue, 45 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:15.460 meaning there's no peace available for you 46 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:18.060 or there's no peace available in this situation 47 00:02:18.420 --> 00:02:20.580 that you're facing or peace has left you. 48 00:02:21.540 --> 00:02:23.460 It's none of those things. 49 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:25.220 But it could be an awareness issue. 50 00:02:26.260 --> 00:02:29.260 It could be that maybe you're not aware 51 00:02:29.260 --> 00:02:32.220 that peace is right there with you right now. 52 00:02:32.220 --> 00:02:33.980 This was my story. 53 00:02:33.980 --> 00:02:38.220 I always thought that peace was something outside of myself 54 00:02:38.220 --> 00:02:40.860 that I needed to try to grab and get into me, 55 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:42.540 get into my head and heart. 56 00:02:42.540 --> 00:02:46.180 Like it was an external that I needed to make internal. 57 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:50.140 I wasn't aware that I was in union with the Prince of Peace 58 00:02:50.140 --> 00:02:53.980 and that peace was in me and that peace could rise within me 59 00:02:53.980 --> 00:02:57.900 and then saturate my external circumstances. 60 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.180 I didn't realize that peace was with me 61 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:01.620 and he was never leaving. 62 00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:03.780 I thought it was something that would come and go, right? 63 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:04.980 Depending on the circumstance 64 00:03:04.980 --> 00:03:08.180 or depending on what I was facing or feeling that day. 65 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:09.780 But when I discovered this truth 66 00:03:09.780 --> 00:03:13.020 of being in relationship with peace himself, 67 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:15.700 I started practicing peace. 68 00:03:15.700 --> 00:03:18.540 I started partnering with this peace, 69 00:03:18.540 --> 00:03:20.380 with this truth about peace. 70 00:03:20.380 --> 00:03:24.420 I started practicing becoming more aware of who my God is 71 00:03:24.420 --> 00:03:28.540 and who I am becoming in him in every circumstance. 72 00:03:28.540 --> 00:03:31.300 It's what we're encouraged to do in Colossians 3.15, 73 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:35.580 which says, let the peace of Christ rule. 74 00:03:35.580 --> 00:03:39.100 Let, just let. 75 00:03:39.100 --> 00:03:42.900 I've been practicing letting for years now. 76 00:03:42.980 --> 00:03:46.460 And my awareness, my habits, my response, 77 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:49.460 my reflex of letting peace reign 78 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.340 is becoming more and more permanent. 79 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:54.820 And here is what is so awesome 80 00:03:54.820 --> 00:03:59.300 about practicing into permanency the truth of God's word. 81 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:01.340 There's always upgrades. 82 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:03.820 There's always more territory to take. 83 00:04:03.820 --> 00:04:05.660 In just the past few weeks, 84 00:04:05.660 --> 00:04:08.300 there have been a couple hard circumstances 85 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:12.340 that quite honestly would typically cause me major stress 86 00:04:12.420 --> 00:04:13.700 and anxiety. 87 00:04:13.700 --> 00:04:17.779 But instead, I have walked into these circumstances 88 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:19.100 in perfect peace. 89 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:21.779 And I have stayed in perfect peace 90 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:24.020 in the midst of the circumstances. 91 00:04:24.020 --> 00:04:25.460 It's amazing. 92 00:04:25.460 --> 00:04:27.700 It's amazing the upgrades that I've been experiencing, 93 00:04:27.700 --> 00:04:28.980 even in just the last couple of weeks, 94 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:30.620 after years of practicing this, 95 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:33.340 it's just more and more and more and more. 96 00:04:33.340 --> 00:04:34.980 And here's what's so cool. 97 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:36.380 Peace is a driver. 98 00:04:37.380 --> 00:04:38.660 Peace is a driver. 99 00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:39.500 Did you know that? 100 00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:40.980 I think sometimes we think of peace 101 00:04:41.020 --> 00:04:44.020 as just this gentle breeze 102 00:04:44.020 --> 00:04:46.060 that like comes and maybe sits on our shoulder 103 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:47.540 if we're still enough. 104 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:51.420 But peace is a powerful force. 105 00:04:51.420 --> 00:04:56.420 The presence of Jesus is an empowering force in our lives. 106 00:04:56.740 --> 00:04:58.820 He doesn't just sit there. 107 00:04:58.820 --> 00:05:00.300 Peace drives. 108 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:08.880 out panic and it drives us, it propels us forward even if the circumstance seems 109 00:05:08.880 --> 00:05:14.920 unmoving, we move. Because we're going from glory to glory and there is grace 110 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:20.880 upon grace in the process of practicing that. So I thought I want to share today 111 00:05:20.880 --> 00:05:26.320 three ways that I practice peace every day and these are just three ways that I 112 00:05:26.320 --> 00:05:32.200 partner my awareness with the Prince of Peace and I'm having so many 113 00:05:32.200 --> 00:05:36.040 upgrades guys I can't even share it all with you right now but these are three 114 00:05:36.040 --> 00:05:42.480 things that you can start doing today. Today. So the first thing is I set my 115 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:51.280 expectation. I expect peace in my life every day. Every day. Good days, bad days, 116 00:05:51.280 --> 00:05:56.440 every day. In tasks that I enjoy doing and things I really don't enjoy doing 117 00:05:56.440 --> 00:06:01.000 and facing hard things and hearing bad news and dealing with conflict, I expect 118 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:05.720 peace to rise within me and saturate the space and the people around me every 119 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:12.200 time. And here's what's key, my expectation is not set on a particular 120 00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:21.040 outcome, it is set on my source, my Father God. In lack, I know he is my 121 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:26.280 provider, that's my expectation. In vulnerable places and spaces, I know he's 122 00:06:26.280 --> 00:06:32.520 my protection, that's my expectation. In illness, I know he's my healer. In grief, 123 00:06:32.520 --> 00:06:39.880 I know he's my comforter. I already know the outcome because I know the Lord. And 124 00:06:39.880 --> 00:06:44.440 so instead of fixating on what I believe the journey to the outcome 125 00:06:44.440 --> 00:06:47.640 should be or what it should look like, like this needs to happen, that needs to 126 00:06:47.640 --> 00:06:51.320 happen, and that better happen, I'm gonna be really angry with God, I release 127 00:06:51.320 --> 00:06:57.320 myself from that pressure, I release him from that accusation, and I set my gaze 128 00:06:57.320 --> 00:07:05.040 on him alone because he, not the outcome, is worthy of my trust. In the journey, in 129 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:08.360 the middle of a circumstance, in the middle of the pain, the disappointment, 130 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:15.600 the grief, he is worthy of my attention, my focus, my trust, my attitude. So I am 131 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:21.440 I'm placing my expectation on him and I expect and trust that peace will rise 132 00:07:21.440 --> 00:07:30.160 within me every time. And it's all founded on this truth, he loves me. He 133 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:36.480 loves me because he loves me because he loves me and he loves you too. And so my 134 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:42.040 expectation is founded, it's rest upon, I know that he loves me, I know that he's 135 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:47.040 for me, and I know that he will keep his word. The second thing I do is I live in 136 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:53.240 denial. Now let me just say, there is an accusation out there that the enemy uses 137 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:58.480 to target those of us who live by faith, and that accusation is, you live in 138 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.080 denial, you're making this up, you're not in touch with reality, you're not being 139 00:08:02.080 --> 00:08:07.400 realistic, you're not paying attention. When you choose to trust God, when you 140 00:08:07.400 --> 00:08:12.400 choose to take him at his word, to believe what he has said, you're gonna 141 00:08:12.400 --> 00:08:19.320 live in denial of some things. You're gonna live in denial of hopelessness. You 142 00:08:19.320 --> 00:08:23.240 don't have to ignore the facts, you don't have to ignore the diagnosis, the bad 143 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:27.280 news, the grief, the conflict, absolutely not, I'm not talking about living denial 144 00:08:27.280 --> 00:08:31.640 of those things, but what I'm talking about is when you live by his word, you 145 00:08:31.640 --> 00:08:37.280 will see the facts that you're facing very differently. You'll respond to them 146 00:08:37.280 --> 00:08:43.960 very differently. You have the facts, but the facts don't have you. You're not 147 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:48.880 subject to them, they don't have the final say over your life. Not because you 148 00:08:48.880 --> 00:08:56.320 said, not because I said, but because he said. And when we deny hopelessness in 149 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:01.160 our circumstance and situation, we agree with what he said. Now I know that this 150 00:09:01.160 --> 00:09:06.280 is easier in short-term circumstances, but what about those long circumstances? 151 00:09:06.280 --> 00:09:10.240 What about the circumstances that have lasted months or even years? The lie of 152 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:15.040 the long battle, or the lie of the recurring battle, says there's no hope 153 00:09:15.040 --> 00:09:23.000 because it's always going to be this way. But the enemy's intentions hold no 154 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:28.760 weight against the purposes of God, and his primary purpose is found in Genesis 155 00:09:28.760 --> 00:09:34.520 126. It's to make you and me and his image and likeness, and as he is, so are 156 00:09:34.520 --> 00:09:41.240 we in this world, 1st John 4 17. So it won't always be this way, because you 157 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:46.120 won't always be this way. You're changing, you're transforming, you're becoming more 158 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:51.240 aware of who he is in you and who you are in him. There are circumstances that 159 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:58.480 I have been dealing with for years, and it's hard and it's painful, but in these 160 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.780 I have become more aware of the truth and there is an unshakableness that has formed 161 00:10:04.780 --> 00:10:07.480 within me that wasn't there at the start. 162 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:13.420 I am walking in my true identity like never before and the long battle has not depleted 163 00:10:13.420 --> 00:10:16.820 me because he has been my strength. 164 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:22.160 Even though the circumstance is still there, it already isn't what it was at the start 165 00:10:22.160 --> 00:10:28.040 because my eyes have opened and I'm seeing it differently and I'm walking in it differently. 166 00:10:28.040 --> 00:10:32.240 And you can walk in your circumstances differently too. 167 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:35.600 Now the third thing I do is I give thanks. 168 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.960 I really live thanks. 169 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:43.600 Now before you roll your eyes and bounce away and go to the next video, please hear me. 170 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:51.180 This is not about pretending that you're fine and trying to cover your pain with platitudes. 171 00:10:51.180 --> 00:10:58.500 What I'm talking about is wholehearted, targeted thanksgiving based in the truth of who our 172 00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:03.940 God is, not in what we may be feeling or not feeling. 173 00:11:03.940 --> 00:11:05.300 Now I have been scared. 174 00:11:05.300 --> 00:11:13.700 I have been in some terrifying, tormenting situations and I know that some of you watching 175 00:11:13.700 --> 00:11:17.260 right now are in some very scary situations right now. 176 00:11:17.260 --> 00:11:24.500 Some of you that are watching are in life-threatening situations and I know what that is like. 177 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:26.900 So I do not play light here. 178 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:30.260 What I am sharing with you is not a theory to me. 179 00:11:30.260 --> 00:11:36.780 It's the truth and it's a truth that has been tested and proven over and over again. 180 00:11:36.780 --> 00:11:46.460 I have not found a more powerful disruptor to fear and torment than thanksgiving. 181 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:52.660 Nothing shifts in the spiritual realm when the people of God gives thanks. 182 00:11:52.660 --> 00:11:59.340 Thanksgiving not only sharpens your awareness and aligns you with the truth, but it completely 183 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.220 disrupts the plans of the enemy. 184 00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:07.260 It disrupts and disengages discouragement in our life. 185 00:12:07.260 --> 00:12:09.060 It disempowers fear. 186 00:12:09.060 --> 00:12:15.540 It drowns out torment and engages our hearts in the victory of Jesus. 187 00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:17.860 It makes us participants. 188 00:12:17.860 --> 00:12:22.380 It's something that is released that makes us partakers of that divine nature. 189 00:12:22.380 --> 00:12:28.100 So give thanks for what is true today and what is true is that he is with you, he is 190 00:12:28.100 --> 00:12:32.660 for you, and you belong to him. 191 00:12:32.660 --> 00:12:39.780 I want to encourage you that the proof of his presence, the proof of peace, is not found 192 00:12:39.780 --> 00:12:41.700 in what you may currently be feeling. 193 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:48.580 The proof is found in his word and it's found in what he has promised and he has promised 194 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:54.060 to never leave us nor forsake us and he's promised to be our prince of peace. 195 00:12:54.060 --> 00:12:57.180 He's given us his peace. 196 00:12:57.180 --> 00:13:02.220 So I want to encourage you this week to practice peace and do these three things wholeheartedly. 197 00:13:02.220 --> 00:13:08.140 Set your expectation, live in denial of hopelessness, and live out thanks. 198 00:13:08.140 --> 00:13:11.660 Now there is no reason to get legalistic with this. 199 00:13:11.660 --> 00:13:14.500 There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 200 00:13:14.500 --> 00:13:18.700 So don't use this as something to beat yourself up about. 201 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:23.060 Don't be upset if you have to, you know, if you've let go of the practice and then you 202 00:13:23.060 --> 00:13:25.740 have to pick it back up again and start again. 203 00:13:25.740 --> 00:13:26.740 That's okay. 204 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:27.740 It's practice. 205 00:13:27.740 --> 00:13:34.060 This is about being invited into living in a greater awareness of what is already yours 206 00:13:34.060 --> 00:13:35.060 in Jesus. 207 00:13:35.060 --> 00:13:37.260 You already have peace. 208 00:13:37.260 --> 00:13:41.700 You're becoming more and more aware of that peace each and every day. 209 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:44.300 Place your attention on the right thing. 210 00:13:44.300 --> 00:13:46.340 This is not about perfect performance. 211 00:13:46.340 --> 00:13:52.500 It's about patient practice and I'm here to tell you, I am living proof that practicing 212 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:55.780 peace will make it permanent in your life.