Man, when I was a pastor in Southern California, this was my dream was just to meet outside.

Why spend all the money on the building? That could go to people who live outside, you know,

and never get to go inside. And so if it pours on me a little bit, I'm okay with that.

I said, you know, we'll take the electronics down and shout a little bit. But just the thought of all the money we could be saving and serving God's people around the world that are having a hard time right now.

This is what they live in.

And I think it's a good reminder for us because most of us, we live very blessed lives.

All of us do in comparison to the rest of the world.

And so, yeah, it's a little cold out here but you know what

suffering for the Lord's a good thing it's a good thing and that's what we learned so um happy new

year uh this is this is my favorite holiday of the year i don't know if anyone thinks of it that way, but for me, I love New Year's Day.

I just like starting over.

I love a fresh start.

I love second chances.

And I know we get that all the time, but there's just something about, okay, 2016 is going to be different.

I'm going to pursue something different. I want to be closer

even this morning as I was praying to the Lord. God, I really want this year to be more intimate

with you than ever before. Like, can this be the year where I just know you? I just know you deeply.

Maybe I experience some things differently with you. Maybe there's a new

power that flows through me like never before. Like I want that. I want it all. And it gets harder every year

because there's more distractions out there. And our world just gets more and more insane with the

immediacy of things that we don't know how to be still and be quiet.

And I'm saying, God, I want to get back to that. I want to have deep, deep, rich times with you.

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