What do you do when you don't know what to do? | Dr. Rick Rigsby

It takes knowledge and wisdom combined to grow your influence so that you'll make up an impact. I learned how to make an impact from the wisest person I ever met in my life, a third grade dropouts who said, boy, you keep standing no matter what. Wisdom will come to you in the unlikeliest of sources, a lot of times through failure. When you hit rock bottom, remember this, while you're struggling, rock bottom can also be a great foundation on which to build all your life. Look in those unlikeliest places for wisdom, enhance your life every day by seeking that wisdom and asking yourself every night, how am I living? May God richly bless y'all. Thank you for having me here. Hey, good morning church. I am so glad you're here with us today. We have the privilege to hear from my friend, Rick Rigsby. Rick has been here several times, but it has been several years since he was with us. You are going to laugh, you're going to cry and you are going to be moved by his handling of the word of God today. Rick's book lessons from a third grade dropout is, is a profound book and I encourage you to pick it up today, but I want you right now to put your hands together and welcome Rick Rigsby to this stage. Good morning. Thank you very much. Thank y'all very much. Thank you. Good morning, church family. How y'all doing? I am so honored to be here. I was a member of the fightin' Texas Aggie football coaching staff, and it's just great to come to this state and not lose a football game. Come on, somebody.

I hear you man. I understand. I am also more so thrilled to be at this great church. I love pastor Alex. I love sister Meredith. I love John and all the other pastors and staff members here. I love coming here. Whenever I find out that somebody is relocating to the Tulsa area or coming just for a visit, I always tell them to come to Battle Creek church, to one of the campuses. Why? Because your pastor preaches the word of God. Come on, somebody. In an era where we would rather be entertained than challenged, come on, somebody. In an era where we just want to sit home and watch Dr. Flip-Flap and Mr. Popular, you get a chance to hear, come on now, the word of God every single Sunday morning. Am I right about it? I can tell one thing right away. Y'all are going to have to make some noise. This is way, way too quiet. At 8.30, they were making more noise than y'all are making, so I'm going to make a deal with you. I was a college professor for 25 years. In other words, my job was to heal the hungover and raise the dead. Come on, somebody. Come on, y'all. The louder you are, the quicker I'll be this morning. 1.30, 2 o'clock. The louder you are, it's good to have fun. I want to welcome all the various campuses, Battle Creek campuses, Jinx, South Tulsa, Midtown, Owasso.

In addition, I want to welcome all of our brothers at the Allen Gamble Correctional Facility. Amen. I'd also like to welcome my online congregation. I have a church that, no matter where I'm preaching in the world, no matter what my assignment is, every Sunday at 9 o'clock Central Time, we started tuning in during COVID and we have not left. I welcome Words of Hope Church. It is just great that my church gets to fellowship with your church as we all gather around the banquet table together. Amen. Are y'all ready to get in the Word of God? Six of you. I said, are y'all ready to get in the Word of God? You better not forget your deal, because I can go for about two or three hours right now. I got a good night's sleep last night, y'all. I am ready to go. Are y'all ready? How many of you know that we could use a hefty dose of godly encouragement today? Can anybody receive that? Can anybody relate to that? I would say that words that define our present landscape would include turmoil, devastation, division, violence. Many have not seen such tumultuous times since the 1960s. How many of you were around during the 1960s? Raise your hands. We had all kinds of riots. We had all kinds of division, political. Racial we had everything happening seemingly at one time and it produced mass chaos in the United States

Now that turmoil is global more so than any time we've ever seen. It's a matter of fact. We have wars today rumors of war We have religious persecution, which is at an all-time high while biblical literacy is at an all-time low Help us Jesus. We have political disagreements today. That's nothing new What's new is that the political disagreements today? Can oftentimes result in assaults that are personal? We don't know how to get along with each other and yet we call ourselves Christians I Want to share with you that I believe despite the darkness of the day. There is still hope Six of you said amen. I said despite the darkness of the day. I believe that there is still hope do y'all At home we got mental health issues like never before My friend, dr. Tim Clinton, who's the president of the American Association of Christian counselors? He doesn't call it a mental health crisis He calls it a mental health disaster and and and feeling the brunt of that mental health blow are our young people Go ahead answer it. I hope it's Jesus calling right now Go ahead Go ahead I was preaching a sermon a couple weeks ago and the phone rang and I She just yeah girl. I know I'm in church right now And I just let her talk and just finish my sermon when she got off the phone That's just the way it is You know, we're in graduation season and I want to say congratulations To all of the high school graduates as well as the college graduates and all the parents That Got you there Today's graduates are facing overwhelming challenges whether high school or college. We all had the pressure to achieve but young folks today I'm talking about that Generation Z and and their their their children these folks born from the 90s on there. There is a Tremendous amount of pressure on them in a ever-shrinking Job market entry-level positions are

Scarce there is this chronic stress that drapes over young people we've got economic shifts and tightening of corporate budgets and Generation Z and their kids generation alpha. They are the first generations to live online 24-7 and they're paying a price imagine Thousands and thousands of images bombarding you daily it produces digital Isolation it produces sensory overload all of this in a 24-hour news cycle where every one of us is judge jury and journalist Against all those odds it produces this uneasiness that I sense everywhere I go in the world that you folks sense here in Tulsa that we all sense an Uneasiness that seems to drape our modern landscape this growing sentiment has ushered into the vernacular This phrase that I had never heard of until two years ago. It's a phrase that is called hope fatigue in Overwhelming exhausted that no matter what you do Nothing seems to improve your present situation and as a result you find yourself too fatigued too tired to even hope Help us Lord. So the question this morning Battle Creek, what do we do when the bottom falls out of our lives? What do you do when you run out of options? Can anybody relate so far? What do you do when all hell breaks loose in your home? What do you do when things don't work out the way you thought they would in that relationship? What do you do when you have problems, but you don't have any particular solutions what do you do when the storms of life leave you wondering and Questioning and sinking. I have two thoughts First thought gives me tremendous. Hope it's from the prophet Isaiah who reminds all of us that the darker the hour the greater the potential for God's light to shine somebody shout a man Hold on to that truth My second thought is this the application of Isaiah's theme serves as the contextual Framework for my sermon today a sermon that I have tagged. What do you do?

When you don't know what to do, I'm talking about discovering hope this morning y'all I said I'm talking about discovering hope this morning y'all. I said I'm talking about discovering hope this morning And it's gonna you're gonna be surprised where we're gonna go discover hope What if I were to tell you we're gonna discover hope this morning in the unlikely? portion of the Bible the 42nd chapter of Job turn there God has something for us Job number 42 we're turning to the unlikeliest places in Scripture to find hope and we're gonna begin with the end of his story if you're at Job 42 as Job finally responds to Almighty God if you're at Job 42 beginning with verse 1 say amen then Job replied to the Lord I know you can do anything and no one can stop you you asked who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance it is I and I was talking about things I knew nothing about things far too wonderful for me verse 4 you said listen and I will speak I have some questions for you and you must answer them here it is I had only heard about you before but now I have seen you with my eyes I take back everything I said I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance may the Lord add a blessing to the reading of his holy word the grass withers the flowers fade but the Word of God stands forever let the church say amen how many of you know that Job is in a storm he's in a fight for his life have y'all ever asked yourself a question Lord how in the world did I get here maybe the microphone is not working John how many of you have ever asked yourself this question Lord how in the world that I get in this situation how in the world did this happen to me Lord what are you doing to me you ever asked that have you ever asked this question where are you God anybody here ever asked that question where are you some of you are asking that question this very hour you know why the storms of life non-discriminate they're not gender-sensitive they are not a specific oftentimes the storms come unannounced out of nowhere one day you're doing fantastic the next day you don't know up from down one day you're answering the phone I'm blessed and highly favored the next day you can't even find your phone come on somebody we're gonna go on a theological field trip quickly and I don't use that word in a parochial way it's not a pedestrian word but Job is

just packed and I want to go on a quick theological field trip that helps us discover the hope that is found in God I want to tell you all something I'm getting a little bit excited so I need to calm down whether you think you're being blessed or not or whether or not you're being blessed Pastor Rick do you have evidence of it did he wake you up this morning come on y'all did he start you on your way even if you can't see hope doesn't mean there is no hope for you that you can am I talking to anybody right now that you can begin again am I talking to anybody I want to just stop my sermon and I want to encourage folks that feel down and out feel like there's no reason to go on feel like they're ready to give up and give out and freak out of control and go crazy I just want to encourage you God's not done the last 25 rows on this section did they just looked at me like this so I'm just gonna stay right here and talk to you Baptist back there God ain't done with you he's not done just because you can't see a way out just because you're sitting on the ash heap this morning doesn't mean that God ain't sitting on his throne preach boy preach if I have to preach to myself Sherwood I'm gonna preach to myself this morning he's not done with you regardless of your situation somebody needs to hear that and be encouraged today I said some teenager needs to hear that a lot of times we older folks forget about all the challenges that teenagers go through teenagers gonna tell you something God is just beginning with you I said he's just can I tell you folks something that are 70 and 80 and 90 he ain't done with you the word says to occupy until he comes it doesn't say sit like a lump on a log sucking on a lemon juice bar and acting like you've been baptized in pickles Christians as James Brown would say it's time to get on the good foot come on somebody come on somebody what are you saying Pastor Rick it's time to stop shucking and jiving and laughing where it's not funny and scratching where it doesn't itch there are people in your neighborhood that need hope and you're sitting in your house complaining about how'd they get that boat where did they get that car you know they don't like one another how they still marry shut up

and go love them I better get back to the sermon huh theological field trip starts off real well starts in prosperity Joe was rich I said, the brother has some cabbage, sorry. Job was very wealthy, he could've lived on Lewis Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he could've contributed to the Jinx High School athletic program. My publisher is here, greatest publisher in the world, John Mason and his son, David. John looks at me oftentimes like, mm, mm, mm. Job was wealthy, the brother had everything, am I right? Seven kids, I mean, seven sons, a lot of daughters, had oxen, teams of oxen, had cattle, donkeys. I mean, he had everything you can imagine. He had 7,000 sheep, 7,000 sheep, he had many servants. The Bible states that Job was wealthier than anybody in his area. So it causes a conversation, as you know, briefly between God and Satan, remember? Just nod like you know what I'm talking about. Like God and Satan, right? So Satan is apparently, according to scripture, patrolling the earth. And God says, have you considered my servant, Job? And Satan says, you know, yes, tell me more. Well, he's an upright man, and he's a man of character, and he's a man of integrity. He's a big ball of shot caller. Let me translate, he's a really great fella. I mean, he really is a good guy. Satan, look up, Satan, you take away them possessions,

and I bet he'll curse you. God, do whatever you want with his possessions, but just don't harm him physically. Pay attention to who allowed the storm. I'm going someplace this morning, y'all. I said I'm going some, can I just go ahead and tip my hat real quick? You will never grow the way God wants you to grow without pain and suffering in your life. But we don't want to talk about that in a shallow, superficial world where it's far more important to look good than it is to be good. And so what we, here's the way we like to go to church. We like to hear our favorite songs, and the nerve of the worship leader, the nerve of Brandon to teach us a new song. We want to play our traditional songs. How come Alex couldn't be here? How come we have to have this guy here today? I brought my friends, and they want to hear Alex. I went to Ross Dress for Less, and I coordinated my outfit. That is a nice looking shirt, bro, number three. You're looking good. We live in a society where we would rather be, look up, just keep looking straight ahead. I don't want you to blow your cover. We live in a society where we would rather be entertained than challenged.

And so Job is not on our summer reading list. Preach, Pastor Rick. Job ain't even in the Bible as far as most of us are concerned, but there is something that we can find about the hope of God right here. Y'all willing to go on this field trip with me? I love your attitude, brother. I love you. I want to take you on the road with me. Is it okay, honey? We, I don't know what it is about you wives, but every time we, the three of us, well, where's Michael? He's somewhere else. But every time me and Sherwood go on the road, our wives go, we're going to miss you. What time are you leaving? We're going to miss you. What time are you leaving? Let's go. Let me pick it up. Pick it up in chapter one. We already know. Look up. If you want to look at the screen, I'm going to paraphrase chapter one, but it's on the screen, but you don't need to look at the screen because you already know it.

Everybody listen and say amen. Amen. Here's my point. Job was an upright man. He was just unbelievable when it came to serving the Lord. He was upright. He was blameless. He resisted evil. He feared God. And so everything happens. And he gives this response that I would never give. Y'all hear me? Here was his response. Then Job rose, tore his robe, fell to the ground of worship, and said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. But I have decided to say, blessed be the name of the Lord. And through all this, Job did not sin, nor did he curse God. All right? So chapter one establishes something pretty profound. Pastor Rick, why would you establish that? I'm glad you asked. By the time we get. Chapter 3 you are looking at a completely different person. It does this sound familiar y'all you can have the best worship time

It's 615 in the morning and then you cussing out your dog at 9 o'clock. Oh Maybe it's just me. I Have you ever had this happen? You are reading the word and fall asleep Has this ever happened to y'all over here you are reading the word close the Bible and can't remember one thing you just read When you when you read the Bible don't look at the Bible as characters that are separate and discreet from your lives There are us there are archetypes of us right there in the Bible Chapter 1 I am in so in love with you. I'll never curse you chapter number 3 Man, it's a whole different story. He's listening to chapter 3 verse 1 Job he cursed the day of his birth Let the day of my birth be erased and the night I was conceived verse 4 let that day be turned to darkness Let it be lost even to God on high and let no light shine on it. Look at verse 11 Why wasn't I born dead? This is the same cat that is six o'clock this morning. Yes. I'm totally different As far as I know he ain't smoking weed Y'all hear what I'm saying? Do you hear what I'm saying? And now he's saying why didn't I die as I came from the womb? chapter 1 Job loves God by the time we get to chapter 3 Job wants to die now I mentioned five minutes ago that I want to quickly go through this and I don't mean that in a pedestrian way So here's how I'm gonna quickly sum up job. I've given you chapter 1 and I've given you chapter 3 Are you ready to get to chapter 3? I've given you chapter 3. Are you ready to get to chapter number 38? Five of you I said, are you ready to get? Here we go pay attention in chapter 4 5 6 7 & 8 9 10 11 & 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 and 37 Job doesn't even know who God is Review chapter 1 loves God Chapter 3 wants to die the next 34 chapters. I don't even know you God

I'm gonna spend my time complaining Comparing and bellyaching because I'm not happy with what I perceive to be unwarranted unmerited Circumstances God is not fair You ever say that I said, do you ever say that it's not right. I'm serving you God It's not fair job is not for the faint of heart That's really what I want to say Job is not a quick fix You know, you're not gonna find an easy proof text that dr. Flip-flap shared on TV the other night Job will break you down Mess you up tear you up, but will rebuild you because God makes all things new And so we find Job sitting on an ash heap symbolic of agony Symbolic of pain suffering and grief his body is covered with boils. Have you ever had a pimple look up? Have you ever had a pimple? This is a time where you should not have you ever had a pimple imagine boils You have so much pus the shroud that covers you is clinging to your skin You're a stench You look bad. You smell even worse the man who once judged At the gates now sits on the top of a pile of rotting garbage Scraping his boils with a piece of broken pottery you get the picture Job ain't having a bad day Job's got a horrible life To go from one extreme to the other in a short period of time He is suffering like nobody else. I've seen in the Bible and He's not getting any encouragement. He's got a wife in my mind that reminds me of Wilma Flintstone You young folks look up the Flintstones Yabba-dabba-doo

We already know we already know everything we need to know about Job's wife. She's already showed her cards Go go go here, honey. Curse God and die. No girl. I ain't gonna do that child not gonna do that I might feel like it, but I'm not gonna do it And he doesn't get any encouragement from his friends y'all remember Job's friends Just act like you do. Y'all remember Joel's friends? Elipaz, Bildad, Zophar. They show up to comfort. Their silence is comforting, but when they open their mouths, they're not very comforting. Stop. When you're called to encourage somebody that is going through a loss or a time of illness, resist the temptation to pontificate with an ecclesiastical excellence. It's one of the greatest lessons I've learned over 40 years of being a pastor. Just show up. Am I talking to anybody right now? Just be there. I just learned from this that Elipaz, Bildad, and Zophar, they were doing real good in the first quarter, but then they came out after halftime, and they started saying stuff like this, You need to come clean, cuz. You done messed up. I don't know what your sin is, but it is stinking up the place, and you are struggling and suffering because you did this to yourself, and God is punishing you. Not biblical, but that's the role of so-called friends. Those friends remind me of unwanted guests during the holidays. Do any of y'all know what I'm talking about? How many of y'all ever seen the movie Christmas Vacation? Come on, somebody. Y'all remember Cousin Eddie with that Nehru in that white suit? Come on. Raise your hands if y'all know what I'm talking about. Shows up with his dog, Snot. Remember that? You got a Winnebago that was made in 1977 when they didn't know what they were doing, and he goes, Clark, don't worry. We're only going to stay a month, right? I can hear these three cats going, Don't worry, Joe. We're only here for 35 chapters. Don't worry about it whatsoever. And they're not comforting. They're not encouraging, but they teach us how we are to respond. What are you saying, Pastor Rick? Listen to me. Sometimes you need a shoulder to cry on, not a lecture to learn from. That's a good word right there. Sometimes your kids don't need to hear another lecture. Sometimes your wife doesn't need to hear… Am I talking to anybody right now? I knew the wives. Sometimes the husbands, we already know. We don't need to hear it again. Am I right? That's an early Father's Day gift just for you, sweet daddy. Job was about to learn. He was about to learn the necessity of the storm,

right? And what he would learn literally changed his life, and it's changing my life. And I pray that the Holy Spirit is speaking to each and every one of you. Someone once said this profound statement. We're all faced with a series of great opportunities, oftentimes brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. And I find it interesting. A book that you want to read, I've read it multiple times. It's by Samuel Chan. It's titled Leadership Pain, the Classroom for Growth. Put up that quote. There's the quote. It's coming right up. It's the quote in its entirety, but I'm just going to summarize it so you can either read it or you can listen to my paraphrase. But Samuel Chan basically says this. When you interpret your pain as bigger and more important and more significant than your vision, guess what you will do? You will reduce your vision to the threshold of your pain. Oftentimes, I have found that to be true in my own life. Translation. You can take it off the screen. I'm not going to go to the other one. I'm going to keep going, fellas. But translation. All of a sudden, all I can see is how woefully rejected I feel in the middle of a storm because I'm asking, where are you, God, and why am I not in this situation? And my pain overwhelms me and supersedes even the promises of God and the truth of his word because it is all about me, myself. Can I just tell you all something? Ego truly is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity. Preach, boy. Can I say it one more time? You might have a friend you might want to tweet this to. They might even be sitting next to you, so keep looking straight ahead. Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity. Pride is the burden of a foolish person. We can be so full of ourselves, so driven by our own desires, that we don't even see the fact that it's possible that the storm has been arranged to create intimacy, that we may find a genuine hope, far more than what CNN can offer, far more than what Fox can offer, far more than what SportsCenter can offer, far more than what the housewives of Compton can… Y'all don't hear what I'm saying to you. All right. The field trip. Job has spent over 30 chapters questioning God. God has said enough is enough, so he finally hears enough. God holds a celestial court session. And in this celestial court session, I'm talking about verses 38 through 41, here are the ground rules. Job, you've complained enough. Every parent can relate to that. Enough.

We know we're lousy as parents. We ain't never had this job before. Y'all are test babies at their very best. All the parents said, I've heard enough, Job. And so I got a couple of questions for you. Number one, Job, where were you when I created the universe? Two, if you can tell me where you were when I created the universe, I might feel a need to respond to you. Three, but because I created you when I created the universe, I have no need or desire to owe you an explanation. I don't owe you an explanation, Job. I'm telling you, this is not a book for the faint of heart. Are y'all with me? Job, all of a sudden in these three chapters earns multiple doctorate degrees in astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, because what God does next is shows that he is an all-powerful God that created the universe, that created Job, and God wants to remind you of something today. Can I take one step further? Yes, sir. I said, can I go one step further, y'all? Yes. Hey, Job, let me just share something with you. You're not an accident. Creation is not an accident. It's not chance or happenstance. Creation is not the consequence of coincidence, but a purpose design. Job, my creation has a particular rhythm. Your life is not accidental, and despite how you feel right now, you're not a mistake. This did not catch me off guard, Job. You're not in a storm by accident, and there is a reason why you're going through it, whether

you can see it or not. My creation, Job, is perfect. Can I just explain it to you, Job? The world tilts at 23 degrees, one degree either way. The earth either freezes up or it burns. If the earth's crust is thinner or if it's deeper, it affects the water level, which affects the oxygen level. The world turns on an axis 1,000 miles per hour. If slower, the days are longer. If faster, the days are shorter, which dramatically affects the seasons. Job, my creation is perfect, and if my creation, Job, was off by just one degree, you wouldn't be here. Job can't speak, but that doesn't mean that something isn't changing. Three things, as I close, Job wants us to know. Number one, God, you're all powerful. Listen to what he says. Chapter 42. Don't turn here. Just listen. If you've been honoring God for three chapters, I now know you can do anything that you're all knowing. Number two, Job learned that nothing that we can do in our temporal state as human beings will ever frustrate the plans of God. Nothing that you can do will thwart the plans of God for your life. Go ahead and throw a temper tantrum. Right now, go ahead and have a pity party because things didn't work out the way you ... Go ahead and buy the balloons and get the cake and rent the place and blow out the candles. Nothing that you will do will thwart the plans of God for your life. Nothing. But number three might be the most profound.

Are you ready for this one? The storm demands intimacy with God. I need to go there. The storm encourages intimacy, Job. You said, listen, and I will speak. I need to say something, God. I have only known about you based on what I've heard, but now I see you with my eyes. Job realized the fundamental truth. In order for me to see God, all distractions have to be eliminated. A storm has a marvelous way of eliminating and erasing all the distractions in our lives. You know what else Job learns? He learns that you can't live your life based on second-hand evidence, based on what you heard. Now, thank God for our moms and dads and grandparents that taught us the word of God, but many of them have folded their tents and changed their address, right? But so many Christians are still basing their faith on what somebody told them. It doesn't work. You won't go deep. Watch this. They think they might have saw Meredith and Alex at the mall, but I know for sure that they weren't there, I think. That ain't going to work. My brother is a judge. They throw out what they call hearsay evidence. It's inadmissible. Watch this. I saw Meredith and Alex. I saw. Let me give you another one. Mamanem used to tell me, see, I got roots in Oklahoma. Did you notice I said now my mother's from Oklahoma, Oklahoma. Come on somebody. Mamanem used to tell me how good God was. That's good, but I don't need nobody to tell me how good God is. I have experienced it for myself. Are y'all hearing what I'm saying to you? Stay with me. Stay with me. I wish that this was just another sermon, but it's not because I literally lived that transition from hearsay information informing me about what I thought God was to seeing him with my own eyes. Pastor Rick, how did you see him with your own

eyes? I started going through storms and all of a sudden I saw his purposes more clearly. I experienced his power more profoundly. I dwelled in his presence more intimately. I became a Psalm 63 Christian. Forget about being a pastor. Psalm 63, David in the middle of a storm. Oh God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you with all I've got. What are you saying, Pastor Rick? In the middle of a storm. David says, here's how you react. You worship God with intensity and totality out of necessity. Watch what happens in your life. The situation may not change, but something happens inside of you. Can I finish? Can I close? I said, can I close? The storms of life reveal the Savior. A Savior that says, I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you. I make all things new. I'm allowing this to make you into the image of my son. Like I said a moment ago, I wish this was just a sermon. It's not. It's my life. I first met her in 1974. I was a freshman in college. How many of you were not born in 1974? Truthfully, she was way out of my league. Fellas, can any of you all relate to what I'm saying? She was out of my league. I mean, she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and I was an offensive lineman. The blind side hadn't come out yet. Do you all hear what I'm saying? We weren't making millions of dollars. We had a dance after a football game. To make a long story short, I mustered up the courage to go and ask her to dance. She said yes. She even gave me her phone number. That was when I was Big Daddy. You saw the video, right? I've gone from Big Daddy to Pretty Ricky. We have a date. A date turns into going together. My family is shocked. The community is shocked. The college is shocked. Four years later, everybody would be shocked. When I got down on one knee, Trina said yes. She'd marry me. I married the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life. In fact, at our wedding, I'll never forget this. At our wedding, we're standing in the front, which is usually where the bride and groom stand. I actually heard somebody say this, how in the world? It was coming from my side of the family. We get married. I'm a television sports reporter. She's a labor and delivery nurse. We are living a fairytale life. We have a couple of great kids. All of a sudden, a few years down the road, Trina finds a lump in her left breast. Breast cancer. Six years after that diagnosis, in a little town called College Station, Texas, me and my two little boys walked up to Mommy's casket. For two years, I couldn't talk.

My heart didn't beat. I'm going to school with a broken heart. I'm driving down the freeway with tears in my eyes. I'm saying things like this. You owe me an explanation. How could you take their mother? How could you take my wife? At the time, I was 40 years old. This was 30 years ago, this year. 1996 and I heard God as I'm screaming from the top of my lungs. I heard him say do you trust me? I don't like you But I do trust you and I literally Live my life for a year like this. My fist is balled up to God He was never intimidated by that nor will he be intimidated by you? Remember his plans are never thwarted based on your temporal state of mind How could you and at the same time I'm holding on to his other hand with dear life That's the way that I live my life and he would whisper at 2 and 3 in the morning Has anybody ever been up at 2 and 3 in the morning? I said has anybody here ever been up at 2? Some amazing things happen When you can't get nobody on the phone Some amazing things happen when your friends don't want to visit you because you're just a mess sitting on an ash heap Some amazing. It's just you and God and he'll whisper things like this Ricky I don't owe you an explanation But just trust me At the casket I'm done now at the casket. I Looked at Trina my mother's crying. Everybody's crying. I got one hand holding Andrew one hand holding Jeremiah. They're just little fellas and The gravity of the situation caused me to look at my daddy and say this dad I have lost hope My father said no education godly, man My father said son, you can't lose something God gave you You haven't lost hope you've lost perspective now son. Just stand I've come here to encourage somebody here today Keep standing. I said I've come here to encourage a mama today a daddy today Somebody going through hell and high water today

Somebody dealing with something and nobody understands an unexpected storm a storm that's cost you off-guard You keep standing I kept standing and you're not gonna believe what happened a couple of years later my heart starts to beat again What if I were to tell you that I met the most beautiful woman I'd ever met in my life again a Single school teacher in College Station, Texas first thing Janet did was she adopted my little boys fulfilling Trina's last wish that her babies not go through life without a mommy and then we had more kids and These days some of those kids have had kids put the picture of my family. That's my family God Here's how I want to close this sermon I've been preaching for 40 years Probably up until Despite the fact that I was preaching Despite the fact that I'm seminary trained Despite the fact that I'm ordained. I had only heard about you with my ears But now But now But now I've seen you With my eyes, I need to just repent because there are things far too wonderful. I did not know You always like the worship team saying today you always had a plan for me it was always my best And I couldn't see it because of the elusiveness of hope Because hope doesn't seem like or feel like hope but the only way you can have genuine. Hope is to be in a hopeless situation And that is where you meet God Friends The next time a storm comes well brother Rick, I I haven't had some keep living the next time a storm comes Instead of locating yourself in the clouds and the thunder Locate the Savior and you'll find yourself saying You know for years. I've only heard about you with my ears But now I see you

With my eyes, let's pray Heavenly Father. Thank you. I Just want to thank you father Thank you that you never leave us You never forsake us. You're never intimidated by our temporary states of insanity That you love us and you have the very best for us It is our privilege and our calling to trust you to the point that we obey you. And that is oftentimes exercised by the simple words of a third grade dropout who said, boy, keep standing. So my charge today to my friends at Battle Creek, to those listening online, to all of us is to keep standing, not standing on the wisdom of this world, but on the truths of the word of God. And in that way, our hope will always be found at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I had only heard about you before with my ears, but now God, I see you with my eyes in the matchless, majestic name of Jesus, amen and amen. God bless y'all.