What I Would Tell My Younger Self: Embracing God's Word

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you love to hear from you.

So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org everywhere you can go back and advise your younger self before some of those mistakes remain pastoring, Lori has been thinking about is when an old agreement saying when younger just be a nice person. You're a child of God you don't for your generosity be known for your love and compassion that your anger be known as a person that builds people not as a person chairs people down be a nice person and is growing older, learning some of the lessons of life. There's even more wisdom comes when we embrace God's word or pattern of living in a new beginning. Lori looks to the Bible for practical principles we can do you if you miss some of the principles is already covered job by listening to the previous two programs online harvest, good insight coming your way worth what I say young Greg is an older Greg, what advice would I give myself, let me give you a little bit of advice and say things to you that you need said to you as a younger person. This first one may be surprising, marry the right person marry the right person was and if you're single. I believe God has a person picked out for you that you can start praying for your spouse right now even though you don't know, maybe you do know Munoz, but you can start praying for them now, but when you're looking at potential candidates of food to spend the rest of your life with looking at who could be the potential mother or father of your children who could be the grandparent of your grandchildren. Start here. Look for a godly person find some of its even more godly then you don't find some person who is not a Christian and marry them. The Bible says don't mean equally yoked together with nonbelievers, what fellowship does light have with darkness.

Don't do that doesn't honestly marriage is challenging enough, don't marry a nonbeliever on top of it. You need someone you can pray together with commit things to the Lord with look to God for the strength marriage can be challenging in life, but once you make this commitment. It should be a lifelong commitment. Weblog should be a padlock and I mean that in the best way and if you're unwilling to do this if you want to just experiment with it then get married and maybe get divorce if it doesn't work out do us all a favor and stay single but rather think about this.

Pray about this and take your time.

The Bible says love is patient, some people want to rush in the marriage.

All we have to get married immediately. No get to know one another. The Bible says many waters cannot quench love. Neither can floods surround it. If your love for that man. That woman is a real love.

It will stand the test of time I heard this great advice that was given to me by a friend of mine named Cliff barracks. He said there are eight words you should be willing to say to your spouse every day eight words. Here they are, say I'm sorry. Please forgive me and I love I'm sorry. Please forgive me and I love you and I would have these words as well. It was my fault so I put this in one of my devotions, and by the way, we have a daily devotion harvest.org you can sign up for it and I sent some devotional thoughts in Scripture to you each and every day. But anyway in my devotion, I wrote out what I just said to you the eight words I can change your marriage and a friend of mine Larry read it and he walked into the room where his wife was and he said to her, just out of the blue, I love you please forgive me and I'm sorry she was done she, her eyes welled up with tears. Larry, thank you for saying that to me that's so beautiful. What prompted you to say that he says I just read in Greg's devotion.

I thought it would try it out published and told her that went to work pretty well yet to mean the words when you say them. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you and was my fault as of the Bible says wives are to respect their husbands husbands are to love their wife as Christ loves the church make the right decision and marry the right person. Here's another thing tell those you love that you love tell the people you love that you love them, don't go away, go to will they know I'm sure they know, but it never hurts to have someone say I love you, they can't read your mind say because there's going to come a moment when you're going to have a last conversation with someone you love, you may not realize it was your last conversation. That's why it's a good thing. The end your conversation with. I love you. The Lord called our son Christopher home 13 years ago. I know that he knew that I loved though I missed him desperately though. We were devastated by this horrific event we always told him we love to and that's a very important thing to do. Don't wait to their funeral. They won't hear what happens at their funeral all bring flowers and a bring your flowers now stop what you're doing. Think about people you love your parents, your children, your siblings, some of this meant a lot to you. Send them a text send them an email. Even better, write it on a car you know why it's cool right in on the card because it can keep it. They can pull it out to say I just wanted to take a moment to say I appreciate you and I love you. Thank you for all that you've done for me.

Here's what an older Greg would say to a younger Greg take better care of your hair and lose it know that's not the point here is keep short accounts and forgive keep short accounts and forgive.

Listen to this.

People are going to disappoint you in life. Even people you love again let you down there going to say something that hurt you.

Something is going to happen. You'll feel that you've been betrayed.

Maybe you have been betrayed.

Maybe you just think you been betrayed, but whatever it is you're going to face hurt and pain in life.

Here's what you don't want to do harbor grudges against people because that can hurt you. Recent studies suggest that those that do not forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression and problems with anger, stress and anxiety.

So when I forgive someone I'm not letting them off the hook.

I'm avoiding a lot of misery in my own life. Forgive, this is not about absolving the perpetrator. It's about healing the victim. There's a man who directs the Stanford forgiveness project in these" forgiveness isn't giving into the other person.

It's getting free of the other person as I've said before, when you forgive someone you set a prisoner free herself. Don't live in a prison that you put yourself in of anger and bitterness and resentment and have it actually ruin your life. Ephesians 430 says be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God through Christ has forgiven you coming back to Joseph after horrible things were done to him.

His brothers betrayed him. They they sold him as a slave for Pete's sake and in the moment when he could've had them all summarily executed.

He had said for gave them and he said you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Forgive, here's another one. What an older Greg Saito younger Greg just be a nice person. This is my advice to everyone, not just young people be a nice person you know if you disagree with someone fine. But don't be obnoxious about it.

They have a new word now for people that rant and this is usually reserved for the women that probably should come up with one for guys as well. But you see these little videos I will pop up in the call them Karen. I don't know how this started.

It started with a woman named Karen and I'm sorry if your name is Karen but some of the all day, there were like Karen and you have a video of someone from each on the cell phone of some woman ranting about something.

Whatever it is in and they're getting all upset there screaming and yelling. Don't be that person ever. You're a child of God be known for your generosity be known for your love, your compassion, not for your anger. Ephesians 431 says don't use foul or abusive language that everything you say. Be good and helpful so your words may be an encouragement to those that hear them be known as an encourager, not a discourage or be known as a person that builds people up, not as a person who tears people down. Don't be Debbie downer or Bobby Bosco of these are just names of people that are always bringing you down Debbie downer no matter what you say shall be down about it shall be negative about a Bobby buzz kill, no matter how much fun you're having. Bobby comes in these is the buzz kill every thing is to Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Sometimes, we can always make it to church.

Here's the good news church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called harvest home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvestable you're listening to a series of very practical pre-ship from Pastor Greg's message. What I would tell my younger self.

And if you need to hear any part of this counsel again go to harvest.org that brings me to my next point.

This was very practical and you might be surprised by you ready for this is that deep theological insights about life what would an older Greg Saito younger Greg.

Have fun.

Yes, you heard me right. Have fun some of the simplest joys of life are before you every single day. Savor the sunset enjoyed the meal linger with family and friends.

Don't be in such a rush to the next thing, live in the moment and I think one way to do this is put the cell phones away word of advice from you. Sit down for a meal. Don't take cell phones to the table.

You have a little want to get feelers to maybe take the watch off to just have a conversation with the people around you in more than one occasion had been with people in everyone's on their cell phone and I'll text them.

Be here now.

Let's put these phones away. Let's have a conversation with each other.

Here's what I found the greatest joys in life will come from your relationship with God and with others, but sometimes were always thinking about what's going to come out when this comes under the be so happy when this happens, it'll be so great way, what about the moment right now-the greatest moments of life are often be in between. Once let me use Christmas as an example, we could so psyched about Christmas, don't we economically to Christmas. I can hardly wait to open my present torque. I can hardly wait until the people I bought presents for open them and it's all about that moment and you miss the in between moment. Let me use. Disneyland isnever been back there for a while but you know it's so exciting when you pull into the parking lot at Disneyland. It's so thrilling when you actually walk into the park and follow it so great.

I'm so glad to be here, but after three or four hours. You're kinda looking forward to leaving right we get so psyched about the event, we miss the things that happen before the events and after the event. So savor those in between moments try to laugh more. Paul the apostle said, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. So where was Paul when he wrote that I was laying on some beach sipping an iced tea, soaking up some rays.

Nono he was imprisoned, but despite the fact that he was imprisoned writing to the believers in Philippi, he says red joys in the Lord always lighten up. Don't take yourself so seriously criticize less complement more. Here's another one be a generous person be a generous birthday my table.

Greg, I'm not wealthy I can afford to be a generous person. This is nothing to do with how much money you have in your bank account, which is an attitude in life. Be a giver not a taker be the person that offers add something to someone else that will split your meal, not I'll be honest, I don't like the split my meal with anything when I go to a restaurant with my wife so they would even order of the common order hamburger. She says London order a salad okay I'll see you're gonna want some of my burger. No, I don't want any of your burger.

I just want to salad okay fine so the burger comes solid comes in no immediate my burger. I'm almost to the last bite. I'm looking forward to it. Just as I'm ready to to get my wife will say can I have a binder that can sure hear it's hard sometimes for us to share be a generous person in life. Don't be the cheapskate that disappears when the bill shows up in the restaurant, Warden Joe go.

I don't know. We just disappeared and he come back to minutes later. Oh, did the check come give me a break. Don't be that person be the person that's generous in giving, by the way, that applies to relationship with God you want my advice, give faithfully of your finances to the work of God. I started doing this when I was a very young man when I was literally living at poverty level. I believe that everything I had was given to me by God, and we would take our tied 10% it would be give to the Lord at church and then we would give above and beyond that in special offerings. I've never regretted that Malachi 310, the Lord makes his promise. Test me in this, says the Lord, by the way, the Lord never says test me in anything except this one thing, just me and this is the Lord bring your ties into the storehouse, and I will open up the windows of heaven and pour so much blessing on you, you won't have room enough to receive it. There are three things we can give to God our time are talent and attrition. God's giving you your life. God's giving you every beat of your heart. He's given you your time and just your time wisely serving the Lord. The Bible says redeem the time, because the days are evil and a better translation of that would be make wise use of every opportunity. So bring your time to the Lord. Then you bring your talent God is giving you talent, dedicate your talent to the Lord. Use your talent for the glory of God is able.

I'm not a preacher so what I don't know that we need more preachers but we need more Christian businessmen and we need more Christian entertainers. We need more Christians in sports and we need more Christians in accounting and we need more Christian attorneys. How many were Christians in politics and we need more Christians in so many areas of life. Just men and women that say I'm here to glorify God on to bring my time on the numbering my talent, Apollyon, and to bring my treasure everything you have is been given to you by God be a generous person. Here's a little piece of advice you might be surprised by but I would say this to a younger person.

Take good care of your health. You will just do the practical things in life.

All I know some will say will that's not really spiritual and I love to quote first Timothy 48.

It's his bodily exercise profits, little that's true.

The Bible says that maybe that's not the best translation.

Another translation puts it this way physical training is good but training for godliness is far better.

So the point of it is this put God first were to cover the point, but that doesn't mean neglect your body God gave you your body your soul is in a body in the Bible says glorify God with your body so don't neglect your health. Make sure you go to the doctor for checkups.

Make sure you do the proper things in your nutrition and your exercise. All the other things in life is another piece of advice in older me would give to a younger me make the right choices every day we get up. We have lots of choices in front of us starting with Taco Bell.

Have you driven to do a talk about lately.

There's so many oxides I don't even know what's happening anymore. I went there the other day with my wife and her know how the sophomore watching a movie in the movie there's a scene where there's a man and a young man having I hamburger at a little counter in a restaurant and we both looked at each other and said let's go get a burger, but the problem was. McDonald's was too far away and talk about was closer so we ended up at talk about how to go from a burger to talk about. I don't know then we get to and you were like Kathy think what is all this stuff.

I don't know what I cheesy granita crunches.

What is this and so they cared ended up ordering just tacos because I know it goes on and then there's Sirius XM give Sirius XM so you have all these options you have 50s on 560s on 670s on 780 is on 890s on ninth and and as I scroll through those like my life is passing before me because I lived through all of these decades in these choices don't matter which channel you listen to unserious for the most part or what choice you make at the drive-through restaurant but then there are the big choices in life you have a choice each and every day to obey God, or to disobey God to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing to pick up the Bible and read it or neglect.

The Bible to pray or to worry, these are your choices. Make the right choices wife because you make your choices and then your choices make you in the end of your life is determined by the beginning of your life the evening of your life is determined by the morning of your life.

So if you're young develop good habit patterns now start doing the right things now that will pay great dividends later in life such practical counsel from Pastor Greg Laurie today.

It's a unique message called what I would tell my younger self, good insight not only for young people but for all of us and there's more to come as this study continues to run a new beginning. Pastor Greg movies and TV programs about Jesus go back decades, yeah, but it seems they're more common now than ever before.

That's true. What you think. That is, I think people have a real interest in the Bible and I think when you visualize it when you cast people to play parts and it's directed well and you add music and you know what you're doing. It can be a powerful way of getting people into the greatest stories ever told and I'll pretty much watch any dramatization of the Bible. I've seen some okay once I've seen some pretty good ones.

But we are offering you right now, which I think is the cream of the crop.

I don't know if you've seen it yet, but if you haven't, you're going to see it now. It's a special series on the life of Jesus, called the chosen, it's directed by Dallas Jenkins.

Dallas is the son of author Jerry Jenkins who wrote the left behind books and Dallas has got lightning in a bottle.

Here he is just cast this series so perfectly. Peter and Andrew and Thomas and Marion Nicodemus he's made these characters come to life. But his crowning achievement is the casting of actor Jonathan Rumi in the role of Jesus.

I've seen many cinematic portrayals of Christ, of the years and I think this is the best I've ever seen. In fact, I was speaking with actor Jonathan Rumi, who plays the role of Jesus and told him how powerful his portrayal of Christ was in those scenes of the chosen. I did not come from Mark seen from spiritual death. God loves the world's way. He gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not life with that same God did not perceive it for him.

So I'm very excited to announce that here and harvest we are offering season one of this amazing series on the life of Jesus, called the chosen to you for your gift of any size is is not the perfect time to watch this with your children and I'm telling you, your kids are going to love it. My grandkids love it, you're gonna love in older people get 11 because it's done so well.

The New Testament stories will come to life for you in a way like you've never seen before. So for your gift of any size to us here at harvest ministries for the month of December, the month when we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to send you the chosen.

Some of you can give more some of you can't give as much, but whatever you send will be put to use to continue teaching the word of God as you hear it here in a new beginning and giving people an opportunity to come into our relationship with Jesus Christ. Yeah that's right and it's the most strategic time of the year for that investment.

Not only are there tax deduction benefits at the end of the year, but this is one we determine how far we can reach with the gospel in the coming 12 months and we have huge plans for 2022, including a large Crusade outreach and a film documenting the Jesus movement were praying God sends another revival like the Jesus movement so your donation couldn't come at a better time and with your investment should ask for season one of the chosen on DVD you can donate online@harvest.org or write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime.

Again, dial 1-800-821-3300 next time Pastor Greg presents the conclusion of this message, called what I would tell my younger self. Some of the best counsel is yet to come join us here on a new beginning.

Pastors and Bible teacher Greg Laurie and thanks for the beginning Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org