What I Would Tell My Younger Self | Evidence of Maturing

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You don't decide what you will be don't want you decide how you will react to it coming of the Greg Laurie pointed out whatever trials your pain can be a tool in the hands of God to make you into the person he wants you to be discovering your pain can be effectively turned to Jane because what you've gone through was not designed to destroy you develop some of his hated now what we may still point. The point is we eat vegetables today on the new beginning for Greg Laurie help realize the changing perspective is good evidence today. We can brace and enhance your title of this special message is what I would tell my younger self, what would I say to a young Greg as an older Greg, what advice would I give myself what things what I tell young Greg to avoid what things what I tell young Greg to do well. There's the obvious answers. I would tell young Greg brush her teeth every day boy as you do not want to have to spend as much time at the Dennis is older.

Greg has, of course, I would tell younger Greg wear sunscreen. I was a blonde kid out at the beach a lot.

I don't think I hardly ever were sunscreen and I've had more than one trip to the dermatologist would certainly give that advice maybe I would say to a young Greg. You know when Star Wars comes up all those figures are in the original packaging. Don't open those save those because you will be able to sell those for a lot of money later. Think that's true of original Barbie dolls and their packaging. I just read the other day that an original copy of the legend of Zelda video game sold for at this $411,000 so I guess I would say young Greg go find a few copies of the legend of Zelda because OB work out the Milliken when they don't take it out. Of the original packaging of these are silly things, things that don't matter all that much, but I want to talk about things that really do matter what I would say to a younger me and in effect what I'm saying to young people right now.

Let me give you a little bit of advice maybe you don't have a mom and a dad that are doing this for your grandfather. Let me be your dad for a few minutes or your grandfather and say things to you that you need said to you as a younger person.

This first one may be surprising, but I want to start with this.

Whatever you're going through. It's going to be okay.

Whatever you're going through. It's going to be okay. I know when you're young and you're experiencing things for the first time life can seem kind of scary.

You're wondering about what you're going to do with your life where you're going to go who you're going to marry what career path you're going to choose and then maybe something bad happens to you.

You have a huge setback you break up with your boyfriend or your girlfriend, and it almost seems like your world is just ended. Listen, it's going to be okay. You're going to get through this that I look at photos of my younger self. By the way, I just rediscovered these really old photos of me as a little boy. I believe they were taken when I was living in New Jersey I was around six or seven years old and I look at this little guy and knowing now what I know now I know the little guys going to go through a lot of suffering his mother would effectively abandon him.

He would never have a father growing up he would be passed around from aunts and uncles. He would spend considerable period of time in military school.

Life would not make sense to him.

Sometimes he would be up all my wondering when his mother was going to come home and she wouldn't come home and you have to get himself ready for school in and take a lot of responsibility on as a little kid. But here's what I would say God has his hand on you.

God is going to watch over you I mention I was passed around to family members and I did spend a bit of time with my grandparents and that was probably one of the most stable times in my life because they function as parent. There were parents from another century they were there were quite old. When I was living with them and they believed in old-fashioned values, but fortunately they believed in old-fashioned food to starting with fried chicken. By the way, we had fried chicken. We didn't just go to the market to buy chicken like normal people. My grandfather would kill a live chicken, cut it set off I members a little kid watching them do it one time he took the chicken he put it on a tree stop.

He took out the hatchet for the acts I should say love comes he had had the bodies running around spurting out blood and as I recall it started running toward me and I'm thinking, how does the chicken body know what ago I felt like the little chicken head laying there with a go straight. You're right you're right whatever traumatized me. I still break on the cold sweat when I go by Chick-fil-A, not really, but fresh chicken, mashed potatoes, made from scratch, black-eyed peas, so many incredible things she would make every night, but her crowning achievement was her biscuit. This was a biscuit unlike any other I've had any place so it was good. It was stable I met we would sit in the front room of my grandparents house. They each had sort of a La-Z-Boy type chair and I'd sit in a little stool in the middle and I met we watched Billy Graham and how was I didn't know was a little boy that I would one day meet him and actually become friends with him. My grandparents had a little painting of the face of Jesus over the furnace. It was a floor furnace and I remember I would look at that picture of Jesus for our thinking about you. There was something about him that that interested me. How was I didn't know that I would come into a relationship with him. He would change my life forever. So despite the hardship I went through as a little boy I was able to react to it in a different way because of the age of 17 I put my faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to this. You don't decide what can you will be dealt in life.

Some of you are in a stable home with mom and dad raising you in a wonderful way.

Some of you are from a broken home. In fact, probably more of you are from a broken home, and you are facing an uncertain future. You don't get to pick what hand is built to you in life but you decide how you will react to it. And here's the thing you discover in time, no matter how bad your upbringing is or bad the experiences are that you go through your pain can be effectively turned to gain God to take your setbacks and turn them in this set up your tests can become a testimony because what you have gone through was not designed to destroy you but to develop.

You could develop you so you'll be a different person and I been able to take the pain of my past and use it as a tool to help people who are going through similar pain of the apostle Paul speaks about comforting with the comfort that we ourselves have been comforted with Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment, emails, letters and phone calls from listeners are so encouraging to us and they let us know the effectiveness of these studies master Greg, this letter has been a long time coming. In 2000 1700 and I lost our three year old nonsense began asking questions and no answers seem to be found. One evening I was watching TV and came across your message is about to change the channel that something can help me to watch you are giving your testimony, the more I watch the angrier I became thinking, oh great another pastor with a perfect faith in my what is he now got moment you began to share about the passing of your son Christopher, your testimony, saved my life because for so long I thought I deserved what had happened to our standings and my obedience to God's word and hearing your testimony for God made me realize that God doesn't waste her pain then and there I set my heart and seeking God. I started listening to your podcast and devotion and wouldn't you know it you are in a series called hope for hurting hearts I know it was the leading of the Holy Spirit for me to tune in.

Thank God for that moment is perfect timing, grace and love and thank you Pastor Greg you have done more than you realize were so blessed to hear Greg's messages have comforted this woman would you like to share a personal story with us. If so, drunk Pastor Greg an email and let them know. Send it to greg@harvest.org that's great@harvest.org Pastor Greg is getting very personal today letting us in on those things, she would tell his younger self, good wisdom coming our way today I read just the other day that the majority of Genesee has high levels of anxiety and stress only say something to my younger viewers right now.

I know it's harder for you than it was for us when we were growing up. I know older people say things like, you know what I was a child. It was so much harder know it's hard for you guys.

I one of the reasons it's harder, as many of you are coming from broken homes. Another reason it's harder is because everything is been escalated in my BMI get beat up at school in your day. You might get shot in school. Other drugs are much more serious and much harder. And of course you have social media that amplifies everything and is change things dramatically. I also read that generation Z are afraid of the future and one third of this generation struggle with suicidal thought my talking to somebody right now who is contemplated suicide. Maybe you've even attempted to take your own life. I want you to know something I want you to know that you are loved.

I want you to know that you are wanted. I want you to know your love by more people than you could ever imagine.

And I also want you to know that God has a special plan for your life. You matter. We need you don't contemplate ending your life. I just watch a documentary film called roadrunner about the life of celebrity chef Anthony ordained ordained first kind of broke out with his book that he wrote called kitchen confidential.

Then he started working in television and had a very successful show on CNN called parts unknown. That took him around the world beating all kinds of people teasing the most exotic foods in sort of like the many people would only dream of.

It's almost like this film roadrunner was designed to show why suicide is the worst possible solution because he interviewed many people that really care about Anthony ordained and how much they missed him and how much they loved him and how devastated and in some cases traumatize they were by him taking his own life. Burning actually had a scene film where he's the psychiatrist and the other having the discussion together into the psychiatrist he says I would like to be happier. I would like to be calmer. I like to be able to relax. I like to be able to look out the window and think life is good and the psychiatrist replies, will you don't do that you can look out the window and say life is good. Boarding replies know I can and then the psychiatrist says to them you need to start thinking do you want to change anything and Anthony Bourdain responds. I think it's too late for that. Listen, it's never too late to change.

I don't know what trajectory your life is going in right now I don't know what bad decisions review made at this moment but it's never too late to change.

It is not just changing the way you feel you need to change the way you think Christ can change the course of your life. Listen, just as surely as there is a God in heaven who loves you.

There is a devil that's headed the hell who hate you and Jesus summed up the contrast when he said in John 10 that the speaking of Satan comes only to steal, kill and destroy. What a contrast Jesus said but I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly.

So there's your choice life in a relationship with God. Death outside of her relationship with God.

Don't let the double whisper in your ear you should take your life. The Bible says he's a liar and is the father of lies.

Sometimes people are apprehensive about giving their life to Jesus because they think well it's going to be misery and rules and regulations are contrary that's French for snails with garlic know that's his cargo to the contrary, God's plan for you is better than your plans for yourself. God himself says in Jeremiah 2911.

I know the thoughts that they think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace now to be able to give you a future and a hope. Let me just stop right here that's his question.

Would you like to fill that hole inside of your heart. Would you like to have all of your sins forgiven.

Would you like to have a fresh start right here right now. Here's what you need to do. You need to realize that God loves you so much.

He sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you. 2000 years ago. If you will turn from your sin and put your faith in Jesus. Christ will come in to your life. You could change the course of your life, not to mention their eternal destination from hell to have if you would like Jesus Christ to come in your life if you would like him to forgive you of your sin. Why don't we just stop for a moment, why don't you just pray this prayer with me just pray Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I know you are the Savior and I need you in my life.

Forgive me of all of my sin I choose to follow you from this moment. Thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus name I pray, amen those making a decision for the Lord and as you listen to a new beginning today. If you prayed along with Pastor Greg Laurie, we want to be the first to welcome you into the family of God, and second, let us help you get started off right. We want to send your new believers growth packet will help answer some questions you might have lay a foundation for your faith and will send it free of charge.

Just ask for the new believers growth packet as you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. Again, dial 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words know God so many saw the movie the Jesus music and theater, many more were unable to cope, but is now out on DVD copy for Moshier at a new beginning.

It's the fascinating story of how early Jesus music caught fire almost instant checks that hardly ever shed a tear.

Check your arch as she did the day he heard a new van called love song. He was little. So the next thing we hear is can you guys play tonight and she is not Lonnie's preaching hours later love song debut at Calvary Chapel. I can think of many pastors that would've allowed someone that to happen on their state every night. It was something new a new band would form with new songs within six months 12 and I saw contemporary Christian music for right before my very eyes. Yes that's true I did. And you know you understand that I came to Christ in 1970 so I came to this church called Calvary Chapel. In all these bands were up on the stage playing that I literally thought I was going to have to just give up all music.

I mean I was raised listening to the Beatles in a Led Zeppelin Jimi Hendrix, the birds, etc. and I said well I guess I'll just listen to him is now and not listen to music any longer and all of a sudden here's this band called love song that I thought were artistically amazing fantastic songs, lush harmonies very strong message about the gospel, it moved me deeply and I remember one of the first times I went to Calvary and this song was playing in the lyrics of it were were all gathered here because we all believe there's a doubter in the ground.

We has given not only we, the season we said you and one three and when the one reach out Jesus with the other.

Bring a friend.

That song encapsulated really the essence of what this music was about. It was St. look.

Our lives are changed. Christ is done this for us. We want him to do it for you.

So reach out to someone and bring them to hear this message and this music eventually became known as contemporary Christian music. Now there's a whole industry of these bands traveling around the world and of course contemporary Christian radio stations and so forth. That's fantastic. I love to listen to but you know what it started in a revival in that story is told in this documentary film the Jesus music and we would like to send you a copy for no charge, and when I say no charge.

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Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org ever start your day off wrong, you know, things started badly and just kept going downhill. A lot of it has to do with your focus where your mind is centered as the day starts want to plug into Pastor Greg's daily devotions there free of charge. It's good encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on Christ.

You can read each day's devotion or listen to the audio version. Your choice. Sign up today free of charge@harvest.org you know there's nothing lying here in the word of God and worshiping the Lord together. I will encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home every Saturday and Sunday harvest.org you join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together. So join us for Harvest at Home and harvest will next time. Pastor Greg continues his message called what I would tell my younger self with insight on how we can avoid the scourge of worry and commit to living a life of honesty and integrity join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher for bank 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