Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY190011A
|
00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:11 - Hello and welcome to another 3ABN Today 01:13 program. We are so grateful that you have 01:15 joined us. You know why? You're part of our family. 01:19 We're family here at 3ABN, but you're family 01:22 there at home. Maybe you're listening on 3ABN 01:25 Radio as you're driving along...I'm not supposed 01:28 to have my phone here. Maybe you're actually 01:29 watching this or downloading it later on your phone from 01:32 the 3ABN app. We're just grateful for your support 01:35 of the ministry of 3ABN. I don't know how your 01:38 day's going, but here at 3ABN, it's been a 01:40 blessed day. Why is that? Because Jesus 01:43 is King. He's Lord of our lives; He's leading 01:45 out here in the ministry of 3ABN, and any day 01:48 with Jesus is a wonderful day. It doesn't mean that 01:51 we may have some troubles or some issues going on 01:53 now and then in our lives, but we know 01:55 that Jesus is with us through the storms of 01:57 life. So, again, we're just thankful for your 01:59 prayers and financial support for the ministry 02:02 of 3ABN. It's your ministry, as well. 02:05 And of course, we thank the Lord Jesus Christ for 02:06 supporting the ministry of 3ABN for over 30 years. 02:10 What a blessing. Today... Usually, my wife sits next 02:13 to me, but she wasn't able to make it, so I 02:16 have my neighbor, Jason Bradley. And the reason 02:19 I called my neighbor is that our offices 02:21 are not quite directly across from each other; 02:24 maybe a little diagonal. - Yeah. - So, if we sit 02:26 just right, I can sit at my desk and if he 02:28 sits at the one desk, we can wave at each 02:30 other through doorways and a hallway. So, Jason 02:33 Bradley, he's my neighbor, a great friend, loves the 02:37 Lord, and you are the general manager of the 02:40 Dare to Dream Network. You have a lot on your 02:42 plate (he wears many hats), but it's a blessing 02:45 to be in ministry together, isn't it? - Yes, it absolutely 02:48 is. And it's a blessing to have you as a neighbor. 02:50 [laughter] You are the meeting king, Greg. The 02:55 meeting king. - Well, we're doing a lot of 02:56 meetings, but the key is to get things done, right? 02:58 - That's right. - And accomplishing a lot by 03:01 God's grace. We have a great team here at 03:03 3ABN. And today, Jason, we have a wonderful 03:07 guest. He's no stranger to most of you that have 03:10 viewing 3ABN for many years. Who do we have 03:13 with us today? - Pastor Moise Ratsara-A.K.A. 03:17 the president of GYC. It's a blessing to have 03:21 you here. It's a privilege. - Glad to be here. - So, 03:25 we should just mention, actually, 'cause you 03:26 asked us just before as the open was playing 03:28 in the beginning, we should probably explain 03:30 what GYC is, 'cause you may be just joining in 03:32 for the first time, so GYC may be, "What is 03:34 that? Is that global something?" You know? 03:36 What is GYC? Many of you are like, "Oh, we 03:38 know what GYC is." So, Pastor Moise, just tell 03:41 us real quick what GYC is and then we'll go 03:42 from there. - Yeah. Well, GYC is a grassroots movement 03:45 of young Seventh-day Adventists and those 03:49 young at heart, as well, who love the Lord and 03:51 want to see Him come in their generation. 03:53 Our mission is very simple to inspire and 03:56 challenge young people to take sacrificial 03:59 initiative for Christ, because we truly 04:02 believe that He can come. And He wants 04:05 to come more than we want to see Him come! 04:06 So, that's our desire and we believe it can 04:11 happen through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Amen. 04:13 - I'm looking forward to getting into statistics a 04:16 little bit later and all of that. You know, 04:18 a lot of times, people say there's a lack of 04:21 men in the church. We got some guys here. 04:24 - That's right. - And there is a lack of youth 04:27 in the church, and we're talking to the president 04:30 of GYC. So, when we hear these statistics a little 04:35 later in the program, minds are going to be 04:37 blown. - That's right. GYC - Generation Youth 04:40 for Christ? - Yes. Generation, Youth, 04:44 Christ. That's our name; GYC for short. I just 04:50 want to do something a little bit special. I just 04:52 want to thank the viewers of 3ABN and for you guys 04:55 for giving us the support. Truly, I'm just so excited 04:58 I can spend this time with the both of you, 05:01 especially, Jason and Greg. - Amen. So, we're 05:04 going to get into, like you mentioned, some 05:05 statistics. We're going to give some updates 05:07 at what happened in Houston, Texas. A lot 05:10 of you see pictures and video of the buses 05:12 going out, dropping off the young people as they 05:14 knock on doors. Well, Pastor Moise has some 05:16 exciting statistics from what took place there 05:19 in Houston. We're going to talk about what GYC 05:21 is currently involved with, and then also 05:23 as they're preparing for Louisville, Kentucky 05:25 and GYC 2019/2020. - Yes. - Yeah. So, 05:30 that's coming up. Jason, I know you have a scripture 05:33 and then some music we want to go to. - Yes, yes. 05:35 And the scripture is taken from the book of Matthew, 05:39 the 28th chapter verses 19 and 20. "Go therefore 05:44 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 05:46 them in the name of the Father and of the Son 05:49 and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe 05:52 all things that I have commanded you. And 05:55 lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the 05:57 age. Amen." [Amen.] Yes. And now, we're 06:01 going to be blessed in song by Naomi Jackson, 06:05 and she's going to be singing "Then They 06:07 Will Know." - Amen. 06:25 I will speak I will wait 06:32 I will sent prophets among them 06:40 That they might hear That they might see 06:46 And understand how much I love them 06:54 And they will know that I am Father 07:00 Then they will know I am Lord 07:06 They'll walk with Me and be my people 07:13 I'll walk with them as their God 07:19 As their God 07:27 I will strike I will scourge 07:33 And carry out vengeance upon them 07:40 But I will yield the wounds I make 07:47 And tenderly take them back to Me 07:53 And they will know that I am Father 08:00 And they will know I am Lord 08:07 They'll walk with me and be my people 08:13 I'll walk with them as their God 08:20 This is heaven This is salvation 08:27 This is their great hope and Mine 08:48 He will come My own Son 08:56 A Word faithful hearts can't help hearing 09:02 And by His death With His last breath 09:09 A Father's forgiveness comes flowing 09:16 Then they will know That I am Savior 09:23 I am Redeemer and Friend 09:29 Immanuel, the God who is with them 09:36 The God who gives all He can 09:42 He is salvation He is the kingdom 09:49 To know Him is paradise 09:56 Then they will know that I am Father 10:03 They will know I am Lord 10:08 I am Lord 10:25 - Amen. Thank you, Naomi. "And Then They 10:27 Will Know." Powerful message in song. And I 10:30 tell you: music is definitely a part of worship, I think, 10:34 as we present ourselves as a living sacrifice or 10:38 as a vessel that God can pour through. We can 10:41 bless many people, and we appreciate Naomi 10:43 Jackson. And in case you've just joined us, 10:46 we're here with Pastor Moise Ratsara. You are 10:49 the GYC president. You wear many hats, and we 10:52 want to get a little bit more into the detail of 10:54 your life, your family, your church, etc. But GYC- 10:58 I know that Naomi, as she was singing this 11:01 song, you were explaining to us that she has also a 11:03 pretty big role at GYC. - Yeah! So, she actually 11:06 serves on our board. We praise the Lord, 11:11 because she's very mission-driven and 11:14 she loves the Lord. - She does. - So, she's 11:16 a great person to work with. So, that's Naomi, 11:22 and she's a blessing to us. - Mm, yes. - Now, 11:25 how long have YOU been involved with GYC? - Oh, 11:29 well... That's a very good question, Jason. 11:32 Well, I started being involved with GYC in 11:35 2010, so that's about 8 years... 9 years, now! 11:42 We're in 2019. - Wow. - That's right. - So, in 11:44 2010, I was a bus leader, and that started 11:49 my involvement with the movement. - Wow. - And 11:52 how long have you been president? - Well, I've 11:55 been president- now, I'm going on my fourth 11:56 year as GYC president. So, I've been for about 12:03 four years now; almost four years. - Okay. That's 12:06 a huge role to step into! - I agree. It really is. 12:09 - Now, I know that you've enjoyed your experience 12:12 leading GYC. I know it's probably humbling, but 12:16 at the same time, what an opportunity to impact 12:18 young people for eternity. - Yeah, definitely. It's a 12:23 very humbling experience, because really, the ultimate 12:28 goal I'll say of the president is to make 12:30 sure that Jesus is leading the movement. 12:32 - Amen. - And as a leader, I'm pretty 12:36 much a follower and I follow whatever Jesus 12:39 has counseled in the Word and in the Bible. 12:43 I just want to follow whatever 12:45 He calls us to do as Seventh-day Adventist 12:49 young people. It has been a privilege to 12:53 serve. We're all volunteers; I'm a volunteer, too! So, I 12:58 enjoy that. - Yes. - So for those at home, there's 13:01 probably some that know a little bit about you and 13:03 your personal life, but some of you are saying, 13:06 "Well, is he married? Does he have a family?" 13:08 You mentioned pastoring, so tell us a little bit about 13:10 your family. I know we have a picture, and then 13:12 the church is in your involvement in the 13:14 Michigan Conference. - Yes. So, I have a 13:17 beautiful family. - That's a great picture. [laughter] 13:19 - I have my wife, Amy. She actually works as 13:24 an attorney, and we met through GYC, which is a 13:28 story for a later time. 13:34 And I have a little boy. I call him my little man. 13:37 His name- we just call him Kai. He's a lovely 13:42 little man and loves the Lord. He has two 13:45 favorite words. One of them is mas, which means 13:49 'more' in Spanish, and the other one is Bible. 13:52 - Bible? - So he says, "Bible, Bible, Bible," 13:55 and he's already learning to do his devotions even 13:59 though he can't read. So, we're... - Tell us 14:01 about that, 'cause, I mean, that's amazing. 14:04 - Yeah; so, every morning, he wakes up and he wants 14:07 the Bible, so he says, "Bible, Bible, Bible, Bible!" 14:09 And then we read to him. He acts as if he 14:13 reads, as well, which is very interesting- 14:16 but that is his favorite thing to do every morning. 14:19 - Wow. - Train up a child. - Yep. I was 14:23 just thinking that. - Really? Yeah, that's 14:26 incredible. - So, that's Kai. I also serve as 14:29 a pastor. I pastor one church, and we have 14:34 a company as well-a Filipino company-and 14:37 I serve, as well, as what they call as pastors in 14:42 the Michigan conference, as a district superintendent, 14:45 and it's basically you're there to help the pastors 14:48 in a certain district in the Michigan conference 14:51 with anything they might want counsel or help. So, 14:55 that's what I do, as well. I've been serving, 14:58 now, as a pastor for the last seven years. - Wow. 15:03 Now, were you always Adventist? Like, did you 15:05 grow up Adventist? How does... - Yes. Well, I grew 15:09 up Adventist. My parents were missionaries; my dad 15:13 was a very serious mission-minded person, 15:17 my mother was a godly woman, and we traveled 15:20 throughout the world. We actually survived 15:22 about three wars, going- living as missionaries; 15:26 lived in almost 11 countries. And through 15:29 all those experiences, I saw God move in a 15:32 mighty way. But when I went to college my 15:36 freshman year, I had some very deep questions 15:39 about God. To make a long story short, I 15:43 almost became an agnostic because of the questions 15:47 I had; I could not get clear answers to the 15:51 questions I was longing to get answers to... But 15:56 GYC changed my life. In 2010, they came to 16:03 Southern, and there was a preacher there. He 16:06 challenged me. He told me I didn't know the 16:08 Bible. And I said, "You don't know my life! 16:10 I've been a missionary kid most of my life!" - I 16:11 know the Bible! - Yeah, I know the Bible! But he 16:14 says, "No, you don't know the Bible!" And 16:16 he started sharing stories and things, and that really 16:19 challenged me. I guess the word was, I was 16:23 furious! - Wow. - He was preaching from 16:26 the front; he wasn't even talking to me, 16:28 but I took it as if the Holy Spirit was talking 16:30 to me and convicting me. So, I had a conversion 16:35 moment in college. - Wow. - Yeah. - And really, that 16:41 would be through GYC. - Yes! It was through 16:44 GYC, and that's why I'm involved with the movement, 16:47 'cause it changed my life in a very real way. 16:52 - You think about that, Jason. Isn't that amazing? 16:54 I mean, it changes life. I really- as far as your 16:56 relationship with Jesus Christ. He found his wife 16:59 at GYC...and it's just interesting how God 17:04 works, isn't it? You probably had no idea, 17:06 'cause you said you were a bus leader, which is the 17:08 outreach buses, way back in the day when 17:11 you were involved with GYC in that level. You 17:14 probably had no idea that you'd become 17:15 president of GYC and leading this youth 17:18 movement. It's neat what God does. - Yeah! 17:21 As a matter of fact, I remember when they were 17:23 choosing the president. They do in a very prayerful 17:26 manner, very serious way, and they were going to 17:29 choose a president on Saturday night. And on 17:33 that Friday, I almost told them, "Guys, you 17:35 know I- this is overwhelming. I don't know if I would like 17:40 to be the president of this movement, because 17:43 GYC's serious!" You know? It's committed young people 17:46 who really want to see the Lord come, and I 17:49 wanted to make sure I led because God wanted 17:52 me to lead. So, He made it very clear, and I accepted 17:57 the challenge with His help. - Wow. Amen. 17:59 - There's a lot of logistics involved. 18:01 I mean, you have thousands of people that go to GYC. 18:06 What are some of the challenges that you face 18:08 as a president? - Well, Jason, I'll say the biggest 18:12 one. The biggest challenge is staying focused on what 18:18 matters most to God, because when you have 18:22 a movement like GYC, you have a lot of moving 18:24 pieces. You have a lot of logistics, a lot of 18:27 different ideas and all of those different 18:30 things. But to just keep focused on what God is 18:33 calling us to do, preaching the three angels' message, 18:36 challenging young people, empowering them to do 18:39 service, calling them to the Bible to live according 18:44 to it, thus saith the Lord. - Mhm. - That's 18:46 a radical call. So, that's the biggest 18:49 challenge- being focused and making sure that we're 18:52 focused on the Word of God. Another one: 18:54 obviously, you deal with people; learning how to 19:00 work with people. I'm learning, you know, 19:04 how to work with people, how to best address certain 19:09 issues that might be arising at different times, and 19:13 really learning. I think my biggest thing, my 19:16 biggest challenge, is learning to be a learner. 19:18 [laughter] And to listen. - Well, that's? 19:21 - And to do what the Lord is calling us to 19:23 do and listen to the young people and 19:26 where they feel that God is leading them to. 19:29 Those are the challenges- maintaining that balance. 19:31 - Mhm. Yeah, we should- we're going to 19:33 talk about some updates here pertaining to Houston. 19:35 Hopefully, you're able to tune into GYC via 3ABN. 19:40 It's been, yeah, the beginning of this year. 19:42 I know from 3ABN's perspective, we are 19:45 so blessed to have had the opportunity, continue 19:48 to have the opportunity, to air GYC programming. 19:52 We appreciate the partnership of working 19:54 with GYC. We've been working well with you 19:56 and the previous presidents, as well, and GYC as an 19:58 organization. It's a win-win is how we see it. We're 20:02 able to basically air GYC. We're blessed with 20:05 some wonderful programming, as well. When we were going 20:09 to Houston, our truck crew-you know, it's 20:11 usually around the Christmas break- 20:12 so, we headed down to Houston, Texas. It's 20:16 just interesting, 'cause you can see the battle 20:17 between Christ and Satan. That's a real 20:19 battle- the spiritual warfare. We thought 20:22 our truck was in tiptop shape. It's driving down 20:25 the interstate, and there's massive air 20:26 conditioning units that cool the truck when 20:29 we're in operation to cool the equipment, the 20:31 people inside... And one of those big air conditioning 20:33 units- we have a picture as you can see now. That 20:36 AC unit fell face forward right- I mean, it was a 20:39 perfect spot for the AC unit to fall. It didn't 20:42 fall off on the interstate. We didn't know it had 20:44 fallen off, Jason, until we were at a rest stop 20:46 and the truck driver said, "Wow! Look at 20:48 this big thing right here!" It had fallen 20:50 off but it fell perfectly. So, it didn't cause an 20:52 accident, we were able to salvage the unit. So, 20:55 God kept us safe, we're able to arrive at GYC, 20:57 no problem at all in operation. Then once 21:02 GYC starts, boy, a lot of things happen. - Yes. 21:05 And you know, God's hand of protection... 21:08 That's huge. 'Cause when that thing fell off, I mean, 21:11 that could've gone through somebody's windshield... 21:12 - Yeah, could've fallen on the interstate. - Yeah! 21:14 It could have been horrible. - Yeah. No, you're absolutely 21:16 right. And I know we do all the setup. And 21:19 this year's theme, pastor, was To the End? - Yes. 21:23 It was To the End. And the reason why we 21:26 selected To the End is because the key to 21:30 finishing the work is the Holy Spirit. And in 21:33 Acts 1:8, it says, "You shall receive power." 21:38 We wanted to access that power through prayer. We 21:41 actually had a thousand- this is an official count- 21:44 about 1,011 people at the prayer room. So, 21:50 we pray every morning at GYC, early in the morning- 21:52 - Wow, look at that picture. That picture 21:54 is amazing! - Yeah! So, that's about more than 21:58 a thousand young people gathering to pray, and 22:02 early in the morning. - What time? - I was 22:04 just going to... - Yeah! [laughter] - So, some of 22:06 them, the room is almost full at 5:45 in the morning. 22:10 - 5:45 in the morning! - Yes. A.M, not P.M. 22:14 - A thousand! - Yes. So, at 6, you can have 22:19 pretty much about 600-700 young people there. And 22:24 by the time it hits about 6:15, there's no way 22:28 you'll find a spot. - Why so many young 22:31 people in the prayer room at 5 something 22:33 in the morning? - Well, really, I think it's people 22:37 are desperate. - Mhm. - Young people are 22:40 desperate to come together as a community 22:46 and seek the Lord together. You know, you could pray 22:49 in your room (which is very important-you 22:51 should have your prayer closet), but when you 22:53 see all these young people who are searching 22:55 for the same thing you're searching for, and that 22:57 is to be baptized by the Holy Spirit to be 23:00 led by His life, that energizes. I mean, 23:04 I try to go there every morning, and I would say 23:10 it's the closest thing to heaven that I have 23:12 experienced. People from, we have almost, all 23:17 continents at GYC except for Antarctica. [laughter] 23:21 And they're praying there- and some in 23:24 different languages. They're praying for 23:27 the same thing, and that is the Holy Spirit. 23:30 The Holy Spirit. We want that power. 23:32 We're willing to surrender. So, that's what young 23:35 people are looking for. They want a challenge, 23:37 they want an experience that is real. - I was just 23:42 going to say, Jan Castor... Is that how you say his 23:45 last name? - Yes! Yes. He's a gem. - Yes, 23:48 he is! And he gets you excited about prayer! 23:51 I mean, he is so passionate about prayer, and he's just 23:55 a great guy. - Yeah. I mean, he loves the 23:58 Lord. Jan is an integral part of the prayer room, 24:04 but there are other people, as well. It's 24:06 just a whole movement, I guess, that it's so 24:09 important to us. That's one of the visions I had, 24:12 and I believe it's from the Lord that we want 24:15 to experience Bible-based revival at GYC. - Amen. 24:19 - We just don't want it to be an event where 24:20 when people leave this, say, "Well, that was a 24:22 good event." We want them to come out of 24:24 there saying, "I don't think my life will ever 24:27 be the same again." - Yeah. Yeah. - "I have to change." 24:31 - You know, I think what's beautiful, 24:32 too, is that I see GYC as like the stone being 24:35 thrown into a lake, and that ripple begins 24:38 to grow because I can see this prayer room, you've got people, 24:41 you mentioned, from all parts of the world: from 24:43 the United States, North America, and they're going 24:46 to go back and hopefully start their prayer group 24:48 in their own church, university, and then 24:53 that ripple grows and grows and grows. 24:56 - Definitely. I mean, one of our biggest 24:57 passions is the local church. Everything 25:01 must exist in the church for the local church. So, 25:05 I met young people there at GYC who said, "You 25:09 know, we started doing this prayer thing at our 25:12 church," and I mean, God works, you know? 25:15 No man is bigger than his prayer life, and no 25:18 church is bigger than their prayer time. 25:20 At prayer meeting, that's the time to pray, and 25:24 wherever, or Sunday morning, you know, 25:28 they gather together. But on Sabbath, it should 25:31 be the culmination on Saturday of all of those 25:34 prayers. That's why the Lord says, "My house 25:38 shall be called a house of prayer." 25:40 Never said, "My house shall be a social club," 25:43 it never said, "My house shall be a 25:45 place where we do activities"; it says, 25:49 "My house shall be called the house of 25:50 prayer." Young people catch that vision and 25:54 they go to their local church, and God is 25:57 doing mighty things! - Yeah. - You know, 26:00 one of the things that I really love about GYC 26:02 is the fact that, you know, whatever city 26:04 that GYC is in, it's never left the same 26:09 because of the outreach initiative and the prayers 26:12 that are going up there and around the world 26:16 for GYC. - Yes. Well, you know, we've made 26:21 a commitment-especially this year-that whatever 26:24 city we go to, when we give Bible studies, this 26:29 year in Houston, we did something we've never 26:31 done before. We went out to the refugees, because 26:34 in Houston, in every... So let's see. You have 26:39 two houses. The other house- one house will 26:43 speak a different language at supper 26:44 time in the city of Houston. That's how 26:47 diverse it is. So we said, they have a lot 26:49 of refugees there, people from all over 26:52 the world, where the gospel might not be 26:55 able to go to in an official way or whatever 26:58 way you want to put it- but they're present there 27:00 in the thousands. So, we went to them; we actually 27:03 reached out to more than 600 refugee people 27:08 who signed up for Bible studies. We had 60 27:12 missionaries who stayed behind after GYC to follow 27:15 up on each Bible study by those refugees. - You 27:18 know, that is downright exciting. Say those 27:21 numbers one more time. So you said 600 people 27:23 signed up? - For Bible studies in Houston. 27:26 - That's not just someone knocking on the door, 27:28 leaving a Bible study card - this is someone 27:30 filling out the information and saying, "I want a Bible 27:33 study." - And we're very clear and they took 27:35 already two Bible study sets, 'cause we had 27:37 two sets at the door. They said, "Yes, we're 27:40 going to do this," and each and every one of 27:43 them, with the help of the local church 27:44 and the Texas conference- we followed up with each 27:48 one of them right after GYC was done...but that's 27:52 not it yet! [laughter] - I like that. He said... 27:56 [excited chatter] - Yes, more! Not only do we 27:59 do outreach for the city, but GYC young people 28:02 participants were in involved in Houston 28:06 throughout the year in 842 baptisms. 28:11 - Wow. - Oh, wow! - 842 baptisms - the people 28:18 that decided, "We're going to get baptized!" 28:21 In the last three years, they have received more 28:25 than 3,168 Bible studies. - Wow! - That the young 28:30 people, taking initiative. - So this is not just 28:33 Houston; this would be the other cities prior? 28:35 - Yeah, this is Houston, Phoenix- young people, 28:41 seeing about- yeah! 800+ baptisms through their 28:48 personal efforts for the Lord. - That's- 28:50 praise the Lord. I'm just going to say, 28:52 that's to you at home, as well, because you're 28:55 also donating to 3ABN- it's your ministry, it's 28:58 the Lord's ministry- we're able to broadcast 29:01 such events as GYC. I know many of you support 29:04 GYC financially. We're going to put up some 29:06 contact information on how you can support in 29:09 many different ways, give you some exciting- 29:10 there's some more information to come, as well-but we 29:13 just want to say thank you. Jason, as we think 29:15 about the people at home, even all of us 29:18 together, we're God's family. - Amen. - And 29:20 we're here to work together, making a 29:22 difference in the world. You think about that. 29:24 Over 800 baptisms! Well, those people now are 29:26 participating in their church! - Yes. - And 29:29 those people, hopefully, are spreading the gospel 29:31 and making even more of an impact. It's just neat 29:34 how it grows and grows. - Amen. - Go ahead; you 29:37 had something else. - Yeah. Well, you know, they could 29:39 see all the stats of what young people 29:40 are doing. They go to GYCweb.org beyond. 29:46 So, you could go there, you could see all the 29:49 stats of what young people have been doing, 29:53 because these are just some of the highlights- 29:56 but young people have been very busy over the 30:00 last three or so years and over the existence 30:04 of GYC, which now has been about 17 years. 30:08 - Wow, 17 years! - Yes. - It's getting kind of older! 30:11 - Yea- [laughter] - You know, we officially- 30:14 most of our participants that come to GYC are about 30:21 18 to 21 or so. That's most of our participants. 30:25 So, that's generation- I believe-generation Z! 30:30 - Okay. - Which is a whole generation 30:33 apart from millennials. I'm a millennial, so we 30:37 have a new generation that's coming up. - They 30:40 were basically born, 'cause if GYC is 17 30:42 years old, some of them that were born are now 30:44 attending as 17-year-olds. - Good point, yeah! [laughter] 30:47 - So, GYC not only is- we talked about the 30:51 prayer room, which is just powerful-then... 30:54 I mean, you've been in GYC a number of times. 30:57 But it's amazing, because they go from that, GYC 30:59 Houston, the prayer room, then they go to 31:03 the devotional (and the kids are all fired up, 31:05 coming to the devotional in the morning which 31:07 starts at 7 AM). Then after that was breakfast. 31:09 And then, something else that I think is 31:11 really powerful at GYC is all the seminars. 31:13 - Yes. - That's something that's just incredible. 31:15 Maybe describe a little bit to the people at home 31:18 that can't make it to GYC why that's an 31:20 important part of GYC. - So, as I mentioned, 31:23 you know, we're serious about the Bible. - That's 31:25 right. - So, we want to address topics that are very relevant 31:28 to young people. That affects them directly. 31:31 So, those are the seminars, what they're 31:34 intended for. They're intended to be very 31:35 practical and challenge them. So, we talk about 31:39 relationships. We talk about struggles. We 31:42 talk about doctrine. We talk about creation, 31:46 evolution; we talk about things that they're dealing 31:49 with on a regular basis. Those are the 31:54 seminars. So, we gather together that we have 31:57 different seminars ranging from all those topics I 32:00 mentioned, from relationships to heavy doctrinal studies. 32:07 For example, you might say, yeah, we talk a 32:11 lot about a lot of different things. So, 32:14 you could check all of those out, as well, on our website. 32:17 But the experience of being in the seminars 32:21 room is like nothing else, because you can engage 32:24 with the speakers, you could get tools to help 32:29 you in your own personal experience right there, 32:32 and friends who are going through that same experience. 32:35 So, those are the seminars that we have. 32:37 Yeah. - Yeah. That's great. I mean, it's just 32:40 so much going on at GYC. - Oh, incredible. It's a 32:44 busy schedule. - Yes. If you go there and you 32:47 do not grow spiritually, it's 'cause you don't 32:50 want to-'cause I know what it's like! [laughter] 32:52 - And you know, the amazing thing, we have something 32:55 else we're passionate about, as well: our 32:57 university-campus ministries. We have 33:00 campus ministry students that come from all the 33:03 secular campus universities around the United States, 33:07 some of them not Adventist. And a big majority of them 33:10 that come get baptized right after GYC. - Wow. 33:14 - Yes. We have, for example, the campus 33:17 groups in Michigan. They bring young people that their 33:22 missionaries have been studying with throughout 33:25 the year, they bring them to GYC, and most 33:28 of them at GYC make a decision to get baptized. 33:31 - Incredible. - Yeah. So... - That's great. 33:34 - Yeah. You might have been an Adventist for 33:36 a while or a non- Adventist, but I 33:39 believe, by God's grace, God is going to move you. 33:41 [Amen.] - You know, another thing I like, 33:44 too, is the fact that- you know, the follow-up. 33:47 You mentioned the follow-up on outreach. 33:49 I mean, that's crucial. Like, you can't just 33:52 say, "Here, here's a study," and not follow 33:55 up with them. So, I love how you guys 33:57 get the local churches involved with the 34:00 follow-up. - Yeah, that's so important. I mean, you 34:03 add that wonderful verse in Matthew chapter 28, 34:06 "The Great Commission." You know, it's called, 34:08 "The Great Commission," not "The Great Option..." 34:10 [laughter]...for a reason! So, when we go to the city, 34:16 we can't just say, "Well, we're just going to go to 34:18 a city, do our event..." No. We have to follow 34:22 with the Great Commission, go to all the world, and 34:25 teach them, you know, why having God in their 34:29 life is important. We want to hold ourselves 34:32 accountable, and we work with the local 34:34 church, the union- everybody that is 34:37 wanting to help to reach that city we work with. 34:42 And that's very important to us. 34:44 - So, Pastor, who all can attend GYC? 'Cause 34:48 someone at home might be saying, "Okay, for 34:49 one thing, I don't know that my age quite fits 34:51 in that bracket," or someone may be saying, 34:53 "Ah, you know, my relationship with Christ 34:56 is not really where it should be; I'm not really 34:58 into the prayer room... I don't know. I don't 35:00 think I want to attend." Give a little bit of a... 35:04 I don't want to say a pep talk, but just explain 35:06 that it's open to anybody to attend; I know that. 35:09 - It definitely is. If GYC can be attended 35:15 by someone who... It can be anybody who 35:19 really wants to have an encounter with God. - So 35:22 even right now, if they're like, "Ah, 35:23 I don't think I'm right there," but still... - Oh, 35:25 yes! That's the best! I was like that when 35:27 I attended at GYC. I mean, when they came 35:30 to my university there in Tennessee, I mean, 35:36 I was...you know? I was studying religion, and 35:42 I had deep questions. I wasn't a committed 35:46 Seventh-day Adventist... I was definitely not a 35:50 committed Seventh-day Adventist, but I had a 35:53 desire inside of me to find the truth. I wanted 35:56 an encounter with God. So if that is you, come 36:02 to GYC, because GYC is young people and 36:06 young at heart! You know, our oldest participant, I 36:10 believe, was about 93 years old. - Wow! 36:14 - She was attending with her daughter and 36:16 her granddaughter at GYC. - That's like three generations. 36:19 - And she was involved. She attended all the 36:22 plenaries, and she enjoyed it, because 36:28 we need people young at heart and young 36:30 people to work together. - I think it's important, 36:33 and I like that a lot. As you touched on 36:35 this earlier is that you really are strongly 36:37 encouraging the young people to participate in 36:41 their local church, 'cause it's nice to 36:43 come to a big event. "Wow, this is fun; 36:45 this is really neat," then go home and 36:47 really do nothing. I like that. And I like 36:49 the other thing about GYC, too (there's many things 36:51 I like about GYC). - Yeah, yeah. [laughter] - But one 36:53 is that you also are encouraging those 36:55 that are more experienced (I'm not going to say "older"). 36:57 [laughter] And I'm? falling in that category now,? 37:01 [laughter] So, but you know, maybe those that 37:06 have more experience, like you mentioned this 37:07 one person at 93 years of age. They have a lot 37:09 that we as young people can actually glean from 37:12 them. So, I think to have that interaction 37:14 together is really good. You're seminar presenters. 37:16 You have a wide? of ages. You have 37:19 some that are very young- peers-but they're actually 37:22 presenting, too. Others, been around a little while, 37:24 have great things to say, and I really appreciate 37:26 your leadership, the leadership of GYC-to 37:29 mix that so nicely, because... I don't 37:34 know. To me, it shows a working together- 37:36 a very important part. - Yeah! And that is so 37:38 important. There's a reason why, even as 37:42 GYC, we have a board of directors. In my team, 37:46 the youngest member just turned 20. - Okay, 37:51 that's pretty young. - They were 19 last 37:53 year. - I think I'm starting to feel a 37:56 little old. [laughter] - And we have a board 37:59 of directors who are advanced and experienced 38:03 in age. But the reason why we have those 38:06 truths is because we believe that we have 38:09 to work beyond just generations together, 38:12 because we all have the same mission to see Jesus 38:15 come in our lifetime. - Praise the Lord. 38:16 - And there's so much that young people can 38:18 learn from those who are more experienced 38:21 than they are. 'Cause we might have the zeal, 38:25 but they might have the wisdom. - Yeah, 38:27 that's right. - So, we don't want to be foolish. 38:30 - Mhm. - And think that we as young people can 38:32 finish the work just by ourselves. We need the 38:35 experience, we need to learn from failures and 38:38 successes... So, we really hunger for that 38:41 at GYC, those people who believe in young 38:45 people. [Amen.] - So, we've talked about the 38:48 prayer room, we've talked about the devotional-it's 38:51 just before breakfast- then the seminars... 38:54 And I know? one day we've talked on 38:56 this just a little bit is the outreach time. 38:57 We've actually talked about it a few times 38:59 and some of the numbers, but that's a huge day. 39:02 At Houston- it was Sunday, because it 39:05 kind of started at a different time. It 39:06 started Friday night, which is a little bit 39:07 different, just because of how the holiday and 39:09 everything worked out. But outreach day was 39:12 on Sunday. You know how many buses went 39:13 out? How many young people went out 39:15 in Houston on Sunday for outreach? - Oh, 39:18 yes! Well, we had close to almost 2,000 young 39:22 people that went out on outreach in Houston. 39:25 - Yeah, it's incredible. - I don't know the 39:29 exact number of buses, but I can assure you that 39:32 almost those 2,000 people had space on 39:34 the bus. - Yeah, amen. - So, it was more than 39:37 30 buses that went out throughout the entire 39:42 community. They did something very unique 39:45 in that some of them went to affluent 39:47 communities to gather food, as well, for the 39:49 refugees, 'cause not only did we want to 39:52 tend to their spiritual need, but we wanted 39:54 them to have some basic necessities. So, we went 39:57 to the affluent communities, and the affluent communities 39:59 provided all the needs for the refugees. So, 40:03 some buses went there and everything like that, 40:05 and it was a wonderful outreach. So, that's 40:09 how many people actually... about how many people 40:11 went on outreach. - Wow. - Why is outreach important? 40:14 Because, I mean, GYC hasn't abandoned that 40:16 plan-ever since I've been around with GYC, 40:18 they have always had outreach. Why is that 40:20 such an important part of GYC? - Well, I would 40:24 say for two main reasons. Reason #1: some people 40:26 learn by doing. We have seminars which are great, 40:30 we have the prayer room which is a powerful 40:32 experience, but some people just need that 40:34 hands-on, "Let's get out and let's do something." 40:38 So, that's one of the reasons why we do 40:41 outreach. Another one is that we believe the 40:44 best in-reach is outreach. - Oh, wow. - Unpack that. 40:48 - Yeah, so that's what we- we believe in that, 40:52 so if we want young people to have an 40:54 experience with God, they have to live a 40:57 life like God. God went out. He mingled with 41:01 people. He, most of the day, He was doing things 41:05 with people, and that's where you find Jesus is 41:08 when you do the things that Jesus was passionate 41:11 about. So, that's another reason for outreach...and 41:14 lastly because we don't have much time. I say 41:21 this very seriously. We don't know if we'll 41:24 have another GYC. - Good point. - Things can happen. 41:28 We live in a blessed country, but different 41:32 things can happen, you know? You never know. 41:34 So, we have this urgency about this community that 41:40 we're going into. We want them to have an 41:43 experience to accept, or the opportunity to 41:47 accept Jesus. - Amen. - So, we have this urgency, 41:52 and it's so urgent that we're constantly thinking 41:56 of ways how we can impact the world, 42:00 because we have that sense of urgency. - Yeah, 42:06 Pastor, you're right on. It's interesting, because 42:08 we watch the young people as they gather in the main 42:10 hall, getting ready for outreach. Some of them 42:13 look absolutely terrified. Some of them are there 42:16 with a lot of confidence; they've done this before. 42:18 What's really amazing is that when the young 42:21 people come back and start streaming back 42:24 in from the buses dropping them off... You talk about 42:26 a difference. - Oh, yeah. - They are excited, and 42:30 they are talking to each other. There is 42:32 a whole nother level of energy, even in the main 42:34 auditorium for that night after they've 42:36 gone out on outreach. There's just kind of 42:38 like a little murmur before we go live, 42:40 because I know what they're doing. They're 42:41 talking about their experiences of the 42:44 day and what God has done! It's just amazing 42:47 to see that. And Jason, you get the opportunity 42:48 to be at the exhibits, which is another important 42:50 part of GYC. Talk about that, 'cause you work 42:52 heavily there in the GYC booth...or the 42:55 3ABN booth at GYC. There we go. - Yes. 42:58 [laughter] I mean, it's amazing, because one 43:01 thing that is really exciting to me is seeing 43:03 so many young people that are on fire for 43:06 the Lord. So, being at the booth, I get a chance 43:09 and an opportunity to have conversations with 43:12 them to talk to them and to hear some of 43:16 their experiences, you know? I hear some of the 43:19 stories about outreach, or people share how 43:24 they're enjoying the conference and the 43:26 different seminars and all of those things. I mean, 43:29 it's just amazing to be able to interact 43:31 with these young people that so many people say 43:34 are missing from the church, but yet they're 43:37 right there on fire! And another interesting 43:41 thing about it is the fact that GYC isn't 43:43 free to attend, per se, and so they're making 43:48 an investment in their walk, you know? - That's 43:54 a good point. - I mean, all of our workforce... 43:57 Almost all of them are volunteers. I myself, 44:05 even though I'm the president, I have to 44:06 pay full registration, my flight for my wife 44:10 and me, and it's very interesting, you know? 44:14 And our meals if we want meals and all 44:16 those things. But the idea behind it is that 44:20 we're investing in our future. It's... Young 44:27 people want to be challenged; they don't 44:29 want to be entertained. - Yeah. - If we wanted to 44:32 be entertained, there are many places that 44:34 could entertain you. We want to be challenged. 44:39 And when young people see a challenge, they 44:41 want to rise. So, that's why I believe people are 44:45 willing to invest into GYC, because GYC's 44:48 not cheap. I know from personal experience! 44:51 [laughter] But it's almost fully funded 44:57 by young people. It's such a blessing, because 45:02 God blesses when He knows we are seeking to uplift 45:05 Him. I've had wonderful stories of young people 45:10 who will canvass the whole summer and use most of 45:16 their money to go to a GYC. - Wow. - So 45:19 they're knocking on doors throughout the summer, 45:21 selling religious books to raise money so that 45:24 they can go to GYC. - Yes. [Wow.] Some of them even 45:28 do what we call faith trip. They begin? 45:33 California, GYC's in Houston. They will 45:36 stop at different towns and canvass their way 45:37 through GYC. And when they come to GYC, they 45:40 have the money they need. So, we have quite a few 45:44 people that do that. But it's because they 45:49 see the value in coming together with people 45:52 who are like-minded and being inspired that having 45:57 a place where they can live out their values 46:00 to the fullest and be challenged. - You know, 46:03 it's... My mind is still blown, because you said 46:06 something a minute ago. You're the president of 46:08 GYC and you pay for registration, you pay 46:12 for all that, and all your travel and your 46:15 family, and you give up your time to put into all 46:20 of this. It speaks to your dedication, to 46:23 the cause, and to Christ. - Well, we praise the Lord. 46:25 And I didn't correct myself. I pay early 46:28 bird registration - $20 off. [laughter] 46:31 You get $20 off. But yeah! - It's well worth 46:35 it. - It's well worth it. I will register early, 46:39 anyhow, so... [laughter] - But it's worth it to 46:42 put the money out there to attend GYC. - Oh, yeah. 46:45 - I never think it's a sacrifice. For me, the 46:50 sacrifice will be probably not helping with GYC; I 46:54 don't know that. But that to me is, it's a 46:59 joy. That's the reason for existence...to spread 47:02 the three angels' message. - Amen, 47:04 that's right. So, we hope that you are 47:06 excited about GYC. You might have a young 47:09 person that has never attended that you're 47:11 like, "Boy, I think they would really be blessed," 47:12 someone in your church, maybe a family member, 47:14 maybe you, yourself, want to attend GYC. So, 47:17 we need you, Pastor, to tell us... We were talking 47:20 about Houston, but that's in the past. We're looking 47:22 forward to GYC where and when and what is 47:25 the theme? - Yes. So, our next GYC will actually 47:28 be January 1, 2020. It will be in Louisville, 47:33 Kentucky. - Okay! That's not far from us. - Not far 47:36 from 3ABN, and our theme is going to be 47:40 By Many or by Few. We're going to be talking about 47:43 the story of Jonathan. The reason why we chose 47:46 that theme is because in these last days, God 47:51 is looking for people who are willing to take 47:53 a personal stand for Him. "By Many or by Few," God 47:57 is going to accomplish the work. So, that's 48:00 why we chose this theme. We also want to focus 48:03 on mission; that's something that's so 48:05 important to GYC. We have an initiative, for 48:08 example, to go to the island or to the country 48:11 of Iceland and pray for the entire country. So, 48:17 that's one of our big initiatives coming up 48:18 in the summer. We really want to see Jesus come 48:23 in our generation. So, that can only be done 48:26 through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Wow. 48:28 - And we want to be ready when He's ready 48:30 to move. - Amen. - Go ahead, Jason. - I was 48:33 just going to ask you a quick question, and 48:35 hopefully, we can get a...it's kind of a packed 48:39 question. For those that haven't been to GYC before 48:44 but they want to make an impact in their community 48:46 and they want to maybe study the Bible with 48:50 somebody or lead out in the study, what do you 48:51 recommend? - Well, I recommend for them, #1, 48:55 is go to the Bible and pray, and study the 49:02 Bible for yourself. Then, I will also recommend them 49:07 to... You know, we have different affiliates 49:10 throughout here in America that might 49:13 be closer to where they are, and they can find 49:16 all those affiliates on GYCweb.org at 49:20 Affiliates. - Okay. - Go be connected 49:24 with those young people. Something else that's also 49:27 important is try to be involved in your local 49:29 church. That's very important, because 49:33 the local church is built for service. 49:35 And if you want to be involved with GYC, begin 49:39 at your local church and attend at GYC. 49:42 It's the experience that makes all the difference- 49:45 being with all those people that are there 49:49 for one thing, and that is to be filled with the 49:52 Holy Spirit. - You know, and I like that you 49:55 mentioned earlier that GYC is Bible-based, 49:58 and that's critical, 'cause we all have 50:01 opinions or we can go off in this direction or 50:03 that direction...but when we base what we believe 50:06 on the Word of God, you can't go wrong. I like 50:09 that about GYC, making the Bible the center of 50:13 everything. The outreach, the seminars, the prayer 50:17 room... So, we want to encourage you-Jason, 50:19 I do, right? - Yes. - To attend GYC! I know you, 50:22 too, Pastor. Louisville, Kentucky. You said 50:24 starting January 1, 2020? And we'll be doing, by 50:29 God's grace, everything we're talking about. 50:31 There'll be seminars there, the prayer room, 50:32 the outreach-many things to be involved with. I know 50:35 that GYC also does some mission work, as well. 50:39 - We have a lot of things prepared for this GYC in 50:42 Louisville. I'm just going to put it that 50:44 way. There are things that I believe are going 50:50 to be extremely mission- focused, are going to 50:53 challenge young people, so we have some things 50:57 in store by God's grace. So, if they can be there, 51:01 if you can be there, it'll be a blessing. 51:03 - So we're getting ready to go to some contact 51:06 information. Pastor, I know we're going to 51:08 give your website; it's one of the big things 51:10 we're going to push people toward. But 51:12 what will they find there? Obviously, 51:14 registration and other things. What would 51:15 they find at the website, and then what are some 51:17 of your needs? - Yeah! So, at the website, 51:19 they'll find information about how they can get 51:23 involved, registration, what is GYC doing, blogs, 51:27 podcasts. We have podcasts. - Wow, cool. - And also, it's 51:31 of content that they might find a blessing, 51:33 as well, there. Some of our needs are we always 51:38 want young people to participate at a GYC. 51:41 We always appreciate donations and help; 51:44 but ultimately, we want young people to be 51:47 mission-focused. - Amen. - And if young people want 51:51 to do something for the Lord, please come. - All 51:54 right. So- thank you. Well said. So, what we 51:57 want to do right now is actually go to our address 51:59 roll where you can help GYC there financially, 52:02 find out more information about the upcoming GYC, 52:04 even some statistics we talked about earlier. 52:06 Let's go to that right now. - If you would like to attend 52:12 the next GYC conference or if you'd like to learn 52:15 more about the opportunities this organization offers, then 52:19 why not visit their website, GYCweb.org? There, you 52:23 will find many resources, including dozens of sermons 52:27 and seminar recordings, mission opportunities, 52:30 as well as schedules of events and plenty 52:32 of information on their next GYC conference. 52:35 To get in touch with them by phone, call 52:38 (707) 234-5492, or write to GYC 52:43 1968 South Coast Highway #492, Laguna Beach, 52:49 California 92651. |
Revised 2019-05-02