Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001403A
01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪ 01:48 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 01:51 Thanks for joining me. 01:52 Think of someone you know who is talented, 01:56 or someone you know of. 01:59 You might think of Lionel Messi, 02:01 the Argentinian soccer or football player. 02:04 Tom Brady, greatest quarterback of all time. 02:06 Daniel Day Louis, 02:08 the actor who won three Best Actor Academy Awards. 02:11 Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Paul McCartney, 02:14 rugby player Brodie Retallick, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. 02:17 Artists like Pablo Picasso. 02:20 Hmm. 02:20 Picasso. 02:21 Van Gogh, or Van Hook. 02:24 Monet, so on. 02:27 Now, I'm reaching for the easy and the obvious examples. 02:29 But there are talented people in all areas of life. 02:32 Talented teachers and sculptures, 02:34 and talented writers, and talented pastry chefs and cooks. 02:37 Talented gardeners, and so on. 02:41 And how'd they get that way? 02:42 Do you think Claude Monet just stumbled out of bed one day and 02:45 started painting water lilies? 02:47 Umm, no. 02:48 Mozart wasn't born writing symphonies. 02:52 How were these talented people able to do what they did? 02:56 You know the old joke? 02:57 How do you get to Carnegie Hall? 02:59 Practice, practice, practice. 03:02 Now, some sports people are born with a little more natural 03:05 inclination than others. 03:06 That's often true in any sphere. 03:09 But at the end of the day everybody's got 24 hours a day, 03:12 and the opportunity to improve opportunities and be the best 03:15 that they can be. 03:17 And Jesus spoke to this in a parable found in Matthew, 03:20 chapter 25. 03:22 It's the Parable of the Talents, and we're going to look at that 03:24 today in our ongoing series on the parables of Jesus, 03:28 “Lessons for All Time.” 03:30 Matthew, chapter 24, 03:32 speaks of the signs of Christ's coming. 03:35 Matthew 25 begins with the Parable of the Ten Virgins, 03:37 and the need to have the oil of the Holy Spirit, 03:40 so we can be prepared for eternity. 03:42 Now in other words, 03:43 Matthew 25 starts with Jesus saying that 03:45 God will give you everything you need to be ready for heaven. 03:51 The next parable, that's really interesting. 03:54 Remember, a parable is not an allegory. 03:56 Allegories are longer. 03:58 They typically have people or characters representing 04:00 different ideas. 04:02 Think about John Bunyan's “Pilgrims Progress,” where 04:04 Christian represents the sinner, the believer. 04:07 Evangelist shows Christian the path to the celestial city, 04:10 and so on. 04:11 Parables are shorter stories, and they convey moral or 04:14 spiritual lessons. 04:16 Jesus uses the story of a man sowing seed to teach an 04:19 important spiritual lesson. 04:21 Or the story of a man beaten and left for dead on the side of the 04:24 road, ignored by church leaders, but helped by a hated Samaritan. 04:29 These stories were evocative, and they stayed in the minds of 04:33 the people who heard them. 04:35 And so we have a parable in Matthew, 04:36 chapter 25, starting in verse 14: 04:40 “For the kingdom of heaven,” 04:41 that's the kingdom of divine grace on earth, 04:43 God's work of salvation on behalf of humanity, 04:46 “the kingdom of heaven is like a man 04:49 traveling to a far country, 04:51 who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” 04:55 Now, who is the traveling man? 04:57 That's Jesus. 04:58 The far country He goes to? 04:59 That's heaven. 05:01 Jesus was speaking about Him leaving earth, 05:03 going to heaven, and commissioning His servants, 05:06 giving His servants responsibility. 05:09 Verse 15: “And to one he gave five talents, 05:15 to another two, and to another one, 05:18 to each according to his own ability; 05:22 and immediately he went on a journey. 05:26 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded 05:29 with them, and made another five talents. 05:32 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 05:37 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, 05:42 and hid his lord's money. 05:44 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled 05:48 accounts with them.” 05:50 This parable deals with what our lives should look like 05:53 while we're waiting for Jesus to return. 05:56 It deals with our responsibility before God. 05:58 Or maybe we should say, it deals with the possibilities we have 06:02 as we look forward to the return of Jesus to the world. 06:06 So what's a talent? 06:07 A talent is a measure of weight. 06:09 The Greek word is talanton, which means a balance or a pair 06:12 of scales, and therefore something that is weighed. 06:15 Now, there are various definitions as to how much a 06:17 talent weighed. 06:19 Then it differs if you're talking about a talent of gold 06:22 or a talent of silver. 06:23 It seems as though a talent was a little more than 70 pounds. 06:27 Whatever it is, it's indicative that the master has entrusted to 06:30 his servants some considerable means, 06:33 and he wants them to use those means wisely. 06:37 Now, let's look at this a little bit together. 06:39 Think about these talents. 06:41 The word talent in the English today comes from that Greek word 06:44 talanton. 06:45 And what are the talents that God has given us? 06:48 And what talents do you have? 06:50 Now, there's a tendency, I think, 06:52 on the part of people to say, “I'm not a singer. 06:54 I can't speak in public. 06:55 I don't play an instrument. 06:57 I can't draw. 06:58 I'm not athletic. 06:59 Therefore, I'm not talented.” Ahh, 07:01 but that's not true. 07:02 Even if you cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound, 07:05 there is no question that God has given you talents, 07:08 and that you can return those talents to God one day with a 07:11 great return. 07:13 Which means that you can make a difference for the kingdom of 07:17 God. 07:18 A major difference. 07:19 And I'll tell you how in just a moment. 07:23 ♪[Music]♪ 07:31 >>John: Finance is a big subject. 07:33 Everybody wants to have enough money. 07:36 How can you have God's blessing on your financial situation? 07:39 I'd like to give you today's free offer, 07:42 “More Than Enough.” 07:44 To receive “More Than Enough,” 07:45 simply call us, 800-253-3000. 07:49 You could write to the address on your screen, 07:50 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 07:55 That's 800-253-3000, 07:57 or iiwoffer.com. 08:01 >>John: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:04 The parable of the talents suggests something important to 08:07 us both, and that is, Jesus considers that we are talented. 08:12 We have talents. 08:13 In the parable, not everyone has the same amount of talents. 08:16 Some were given five, some two, others just one. 08:19 But everyone was given something. 08:21 And everyone was expected to use that for the master, 08:25 to increase it. 08:27 Now, that gives rise to a question: how do you use your 08:31 talents for the glory of God? 08:33 You know, honestly, I feel a little bit sorry for people who 08:36 are fantastically talented. 08:37 I'll tell you why. 08:38 You get someone who's a really good singer, 08:40 for example. 08:41 Then there's the temptation to go after worldly or secular 08:44 glory, which can be hazardous to your spiritual life. 08:47 When you're young and talented and you could become rich and 08:49 famous, that's a temptation and one that's fraught with 08:52 challenges. 08:53 Then there are people who are geniuses at business; 08:55 they make a lot of money. 08:57 Nothing wrong with having money; far from it. 08:59 But people who are wealthy have temptations and worries that 09:02 people who are not wealthy do not have. 09:06 Jesus makes it clear that everyone has talents given to 09:09 them by God, and that the primary purpose of those talents 09:13 is that they be used for God's glory and not our own. 09:18 And, for one thing, we are the property of God, 09:21 by creation and by redemption. 09:24 So we are God's. 09:25 Everything we have is given by God and belongs to God. 09:30 Everything that we have, everything that we are, 09:32 ought to be committed, firstly, to the glory of God. 09:35 The reason we're here on this earth is to serve God. 09:38 The real object of life is ministry. 09:42 So the capabilities that God has given to us, 09:44 first and foremost, are His. 09:48 So what's included in these talents that God has given to 09:50 His children? 09:51 Let's start with what we find in 1 Corinthians, 09:54 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, and we're going to begin in verse 8: 10:01 “To one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, 10:04 to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 10:07 to another faith by the same Spirit, 10:09 to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10:12 to another the working of miracles, 10:14 to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, 10:17 to another different kinds of tongues, 10:19 to another the interpretation of tongues. 10:22 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, 10:25 distributing to each one individually as He wills.” 10:30 Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, 10:32 and this is really how the goods of heaven that the parable 10:36 speaks of are given to the followers of God. 10:38 The gifts of the Spirit are given to be used for the glory 10:41 of God: wisdom, healing, discernment, 10:43 miracles, tongues, knowledge, not for us, 10:47 but for God's glory. 10:48 Your spiritual gifts or opportunities are talents that 10:52 God has given. 10:55 Now, what other talents does God give? 10:57 Jesus talked about the person who was given five talents, 10:59 and then there's the one who was given just one talent. 11:01 Large or small, doesn't matter. 11:04 The question is, what can you do with what you have? 11:08 So let's start with what's most important. 11:11 God has given you the gift of salvation. 11:16 What are you doing with that? 11:18 Now, God wants us to grow in grace, 11:19 to mature as believers. 11:22 No one should be today where they were five years ago or even 11:26 one year ago, in terms of Christian growth. 11:29 There are victories to win, bad habits to break. 11:31 You've got a Christian character to develop. 11:34 And God has promised to do the work in you that you plain and 11:37 simply cannot do yourself. 11:39 Philippians 1, verse 6, what does the Bible say? 11:41 “Being confident of this very thing, 11:43 that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it 11:47 until the day of Jesus Christ.” Jude, 11:49 verse 24, tells us that Jesus is able to “keep you from falling,” 11:54 and Ephesians 4:13 says, “Till we all come to the unity of the 11:57 faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God, 12:00 to a perfect man, 12:01 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” 12:05 People ready to meet Jesus when He returns 12:07 are described in Revelation 14, verse 12, this way: 12:11 It says, “Here is the patience of the saints; 12:13 here are those who keep the commandments of God and the 12:17 faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14 and verse 12. 12:20 As long as you have spiritual growing left to do, 12:23 there's a return on the talent God has given you that God is 12:28 waiting to receive. 12:30 The gift of salvation: definitely. 12:31 A talent to be used and developed for the glory of God. 12:36 Now, God has given everyone a mind. 12:39 What are you doing with yours? 12:41 Getting an education and increasing your abilities and 12:43 your usefulness for God honors God. 12:46 Laziness doesn't. 12:48 If you can do better at school, that gives you in most cases an 12:51 opportunity to do more for God. 12:53 Not everyone's called to get a doctorate, 12:55 but it's pretty obvious that learning and developing and 12:58 getting educated make it far more likely that you'll be able 13:01 to give God more than if you, say, 13:05 dropped out of school. 13:06 The sharper your intellect, the more you can do in God's 13:09 service. 13:10 Which leads me to this: the talent of your health. 13:15 Now, many people wouldn't think of one's health as a talent 13:19 given by God. 13:20 But it is. 13:22 It's a capability, an opportunity. 13:25 So if you're damaging your health, 13:28 what's that saying to God about the way you value that talent? 13:33 Here's what we know. 13:34 Smoking, drinking, illegal drugs, 13:36 sundry other things: very damaging. 13:38 You can shorten your life by making poor lifestyle choices. 13:43 You can extend your life by making wise lifestyle choices. 13:46 Now, sometimes there's not anything that you can do to 13:49 prevent a problematic health condition. 13:51 That's understood. 13:52 But there are tons of people who are eating themselves to death. 13:55 You have a fatal heart attack at 55 because you were careless 13:58 with your body? 13:59 You've robbed God of maybe 30 years of service. 14:03 That's not inconsequential. 14:04 We have a duty to keep ourselves in the best shape possible. 14:10 Now, this is 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 and verse 19. 14:13 It says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of 14:17 the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, 14:21 and you are not your own? 14:23 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your 14:27 body and in your spirit, which are God's.” Then 1 Corinthians 14:31 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, 14:34 or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Notice that? 14:39 “All to the glory of God.” God isn't glorified when we make 14:43 choices that damage us, that kill us, 14:45 that weaken our bodies or our minds. 14:47 If there's a bad habit that's controlling you, 14:50 let God bring it under control and get it out of your life. 14:56 Our, talents are given to us by God. 14:58 They should be used first and foremost for God. 15:02 Now, I've got one that you probably haven't thought about 15:05 as a talent. 15:06 You have this talent, and it's really important. 15:10 And I'm going to tell you what it is in just a moment. 15:13 ♪[Music]♪ 15:21 ♪[Theme music]♪ 15:23 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, 15:24 the Word of God says, “It is Written, 15:26 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 15:29 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 15:32 “Every Word” is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 15:36 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 15:37 and designed especially for busy people like you. 15:40 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 15:43 or watch it online every day on our website, 15:46 itiswritten.com. 15:47 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 15:50 Watch “Every Word.” You'll be glad you did. 16:02 >>John: Today I'd like to ask you to help It Is Written open 16:05 the eyes of the blind. 16:07 India has more blind people than any country on earth. 16:10 But simple cataract surgery can make the difference between 16:13 seeing and not seeing for many people. 16:16 “Eyes for India” is a project that's providing cataract 16:19 surgery for people in desperate need of the gift of sight. 16:22 Please help today. 16:23 Call 800-253-3000. 16:27 You can also donate online at itiswritten.com. 16:32 Please call 800-253-3000, 16:35 or write to P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 16:41 Or visit itiswritten.com. 16:45 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 16:47 We're looking at the Parable of the Talents found in 16:49 Matthew chapter 25. 16:51 Luke's version of this parable is found in Luke 19. 16:55 What we have, all we have, is given to us by God. 17:00 Therefore, we owe it all to God. 17:02 We should serve Him with everything we are and everything 17:05 that we have. 17:06 All our possessions, our wealth, our opportunities, 17:09 should be dedicated to God. 17:12 Obviously, money can do an enormous amount of good for God. 17:16 It's a talent. 17:18 Think about the money that many people waste. 17:20 Look, if you bought a coffee, one a day, 17:22 five days a week, that could easily be $20 a week, 17:26 therefore, $1,000 or more a year, 17:28 for something that isn't going to help you 17:30 and is gonna harm you. 17:32 That's what we call a waste. 17:35 A friend of mine told me, “My wife and I,” he said, 17:37 “we cut our satellite TV, got rid of it. 17:40 The money we were spending that, we're now saving and we're 17:42 giving to God's work.” That's an investment. 17:46 You might be making a car payment 17:47 that you don't need to make. 17:48 People will spend thousands of dollars, 17:50 tens of thousands of dollars, on a vehicle they'll admit to you 17:53 they don't need to have. 17:55 They might call it a toy or a hobby. 17:58 Imagine what God could do with some of that money that we 18:01 fritter away. 18:03 Every cent spent on alcohol is money that's not glorifying God, 18:08 but is glorifying, glorifying who, 18:12 do you suppose? 18:14 Now, this parable helps us to orient our lives. 18:17 The life of the believer in God is to be a life of service, 18:20 not a life that's all about self, 18:23 a life that's about what we can get out of this world for us. 18:28 I mentioned a moment ago there's a talent that you have that most 18:32 people wouldn't think of as fitting into this parable. 18:36 It's an important one. 18:38 And you have as much of it as anyone else does. 18:42 It's the talent of time. 18:46 Every person alive has the same amount of time in a day. 18:51 Twenty-four hours, 1,440 minutes, 18:54 86,400 seconds. 18:57 Imagine if God asked you to explain to Him what you're doing 19:01 with your time. 19:03 You can't get back lost time. 19:05 Once it's gone, it's gone. 19:08 Now, life isn't all about industry. 19:10 You'd better get some rest. 19:12 You'd better have a healthy balance in your life. 19:15 But if you'd listen to an audiobook while you're 19:17 commuting, you'd learn something. 19:18 If you read a book while you're on the bus or the train, 19:21 you'd be ahead. 19:22 Attend a class at the local community college or university; 19:24 you'll improve yourself. 19:26 Think of opportunities you might have to read the Bible. 19:28 If you're waiting for an appointment, 19:29 instead of grabbing your phone and playing a game or reading 19:33 the news, read the Bible. 19:36 You'd be way ahead. 19:37 Anyone who's got time to binge watch a TV series has time to 19:40 binge read the Bible. 19:43 Or they've got time to spend with their children. 19:45 Or they've got time to get exercise. 19:48 Imagine using your time wisely to the glory of God. 19:53 How different would life be if we altered it? 19:55 How different would the church be? 19:57 It says in Romans 12:11 that we should be “not slothful in 20:01 business," but 'fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.'" 20:05 Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, 20:09 do it with your might." Good advice in the word of God. 20:13 Time is given to us to use wisely. 20:15 Successful people are not people who waste time. 20:19 Successful Christians, just the same. 20:23 Now, how does the parable resolve? 20:25 Let's get to the resolution of this in Matthew, 20:27 chapter 25, and we'll pick it up in verse 20. 20:32 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five 20:36 other talents, saying, 20:38 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; 20:40 look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'" 20:43 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, 20:45 good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, 20:50 I will make you ruler over many things. 20:52 Enter into the joy of your lord.'” God is looking to us to 20:56 give Him a return on His investment. 20:58 Heaven made history's greatest investment when Jesus died for 21:02 the world. 21:03 What does He want back? 21:04 He wants you. 21:06 It means He wants you to be connected to Him. 21:08 When you are, then your life is fruitful. 21:11 I want you to notice this. 21:12 God gives us responsibilities and opportunities 21:15 because He wants us, to have more. 21:18 He wants to bless us more. 21:20 You want to be the sort of person that God can bless and 21:24 bless and bless. 21:27 The same thing happened with the one who'd been given two 21:29 talents. 21:30 And then we read this in verse 24: “Then he who had received 21:34 the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, 21:36 I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, 21:40 and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 21:43 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. 21:47 Look, there you have what is yours.' But his Lord answered 21:51 and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, 21:55 you knew that I reap where I have not sown, 21:58 and gather where I have not scattered seed. 22:00 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, 22:03 and at my coming I would have received back my own with 22:06 interest. 22:07 Therefore take the talent from him, 22:10 and give it to him who has ten talents. 22:12 For to everyone who has, more will be given, 22:16 and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, 22:19 even what he has will be taken away. 22:22 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. 22:25 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” 22:29 Now, this might seem harsh, but it isn't. 22:32 Remember, this is a parable; not every aspect of a parable has a 22:36 direct parallel or meaning. 22:38 The servant who got the one talent charges that the master 22:41 is a hard man. 22:43 And the master answers by saying that even if it were true, 22:46 which it isn't, he could have taken that talent and put it in 22:49 the bank and increased its value. 22:52 So why is that talent taken away? 22:54 Because that's how it is in life. 22:56 If you don't use it, you lose it. 22:58 Think of the people who could have learned another language 23:00 but didn't. 23:01 Later in life, it's almost always too late. 23:04 You could have learned a musical instrument; 23:05 later in life, you don't have the time. 23:07 Or as a child you learned, but then you let it go. 23:10 You didn't pick up the trumpet or the violin, 23:13 or you didn't go to the piano. 23:14 And later, it's gone. 23:16 And a key point here is that you shouldn't think that, because 23:19 you have little talent or talents, 23:21 that you cannot do much. 23:24 Oh, yes, you can. 23:25 Thrive where God has planted you. 23:27 If you're brilliant enough to run a Fortune 500 company, 23:30 great. 23:31 Do it to the glory of God. 23:33 If your life is more humble, it's no less meaningful. 23:37 God wants to use you where you are. 23:39 He wants to use you as you are. 23:41 And as He does, your sphere of influence will grow. 23:46 Think of Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss, 23:48 a medic in the military who became a national hero, 23:52 the subject of a major motion picture, 23:54 simply because he was faithful where God had him. 23:58 God didn't have him anywhere glamorous. 24:00 But where he was, he gave himself to God. 24:03 And his story is a story for the ages. 24:05 Just be faithful where you are. 24:08 Serve God. 24:09 Let God use you. 24:11 When He does, you'll be really blessed. 24:16 When we have the opportunity to serve God and we don't take it, 24:19 that's a loss for the kingdom of heaven. 24:21 And it's a loss for us. 24:23 There are a lot of people, even in the church, 24:26 who are just there making up the numbers. 24:28 They're not engaged in ministry. 24:29 They're not doing anything to help another person know God 24:32 better. 24:33 They're losing the blessing. 24:35 An hour or so east of Columbia, South Carolina, 24:39 is Bishopville, South Carolina. 24:41 That's where Pearl Fryar lives. 24:44 He began to work in his yard years ago; 24:47 decided that he wanted to win the garden-of-the-month award 24:49 from the local garden club. 24:51 Over time, his topiary garden has become a tourist attraction, 24:57 with about 500 shrubs and trees sculpted into an amazing array 25:01 of whimsical and even inspirational shapes and forms. 25:06 His garden has been praised by the Smithsonian. 25:08 Pearl isn't a gardener. 25:11 He's a now-retired engineer with a three-acre yard that he's 25:15 worked at patiently for years and years. 25:18 The truth is, most anyone could have done what he's done. 25:22 But not everyone has the patience to do what he's done. 25:24 Not everyone would dedicate the time to create something so, 25:28 so incredible. 25:30 What are you doing with the talents that God has given you? 25:32 Your skill, your time, your blessings? 25:35 When you're all in with God, God is using you and He's growing 25:38 you. 25:39 When you're not, you're missing out. 25:42 The world is missing out on what God could do through you. 25:45 God's not receiving your service. 25:47 He's not receiving your heart. 25:50 I wonder if you could make a decision with me today to serve 25:53 God wholeheartedly. 25:55 Now, I'll admit, decisions like that are, 25:57 well, I don't want you to make a promise to God. 26:01 Making promises to God just doesn't work. 26:05 But you could believe the promises that God has made to 26:10 you, where He's promised that He would work in your life. 26:14 What would your life be like if you made God first in your 26:16 business, if you made God first in your practice, 26:19 if you made it your business to be a representative of God 26:22 wherever you are? 26:23 I remember being in Owensboro, Kentucky. 26:25 This was about a quarter of a century ago. 26:27 There was a large furniture store, 26:29 on the front a big sign that said, 26:31 “Our business is sharing Jesus. 26:33 We just sell carpet to pay the bills.” God first. 26:37 The business was dedicated to Him. 26:40 Who are your talents dedicated to? 26:43 What if you dedicated them to God? 26:44 If you do, your life will never be the same again, 26:49 and God will be honored and glorified. 26:52 ♪[Music]♪ 27:00 >>John: Finance is a big subject. 27:02 Everybody wants to have enough money. 27:05 How can you have God's blessing on your financial situation? 27:08 I'd like to give you today's free offer, 27:11 “More Than Enough.” 27:13 To receive “More Than Enough,” 27:14 simply call us, 800-253-3000. 27:18 You could write to the address on your screen, 27:20 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 27:24 That's 800-253-3000, 27:26 or iiwoffer.com. 27:30 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 27:32 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 27:35 To support this international life-changing ministry, 27:39 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 27:43 You can send your tax-deductible gift to the address on your 27:45 screen, or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 27:50 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 27:52 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 27:57 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 28:01 >>John: Whether you have five talents or two talents or one 28:04 talent, you can give it or give them to God, 28:08 and let God work through you in a way that would change your 28:10 life and change the lives of others, 28:12 to help you to be an even greater blessing 28:14 to those around you. 28:16 I want to pray with you now. 28:17 Let's pray together. 28:18 Our Father in heaven, we're thankful today that You care 28:21 enough about us to bless us and give us talents. 28:24 And then You want to make the most of those by encouraging us 28:28 to live for You, to live for others, 28:29 not just to live for ourselves. 28:32 Friend, what can you do for God to give your talents to Him? 28:36 Even if you're not sure perhaps, perhaps you would say with me 28:40 now and pray with me now, “Lord, take what I am, 28:43 take what I have, take my talents, 28:45 my abilities, take my life, take my time, 28:48 take my Christian witness, take my health, 28:51 take my influence, and use it for Your glory.” Lord, 28:56 as you do, You'll grow us. 28:57 You'll develop us. 28:58 We'll be blessed. 29:00 And we thank You, Lord, that through us Your plan is to reach 29:04 others for Your kingdom. 29:06 So take us and use us and bless others, 29:10 and be honored, we pray, and we thank You, 29:12 in Jesus' name. 29:14 Amen. 29:17 Thanks so much for joining me today. 29:18 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:20 Until then, remember: 29:22 “It is written: 29:23 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 29:25 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 29:30 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2018-02-08