TSC Young Adults | Love JESUS

one of my favorite lines in contemporary cinema says love is the one thing we are capable of perceiving that transcends time and space brand is a scientist on a race against time assigned to a mission in space with a small team to find humans a new home wolf edmund another scientist left a signal on a distant planet reporting data to be potentially suitable for humans however he hasn't been seen in over a decade since brand is so compelled by her love for him that she's willing to follow the signal and risk the mission in hopes that he's still alive while i'm a fan of this great film the circumstances in the following scenes cause me to think about a question that applies to all our lives how many hopes fueled by something or someone we deeply love end up failing us because what we expected from the signals we received turned out to be wrong let's follow this thought let's take this to a different level i wonder if the expectations we place on the things we hope for are they sometimes false should we be hoping for those things in the first place usually the things we're hoping for the things we love the most or think we do is that love even true here's a couple examples of what i've been reflecting on personally in families there's a need in members to feel a part of wanted that they've contributed something this often leads to competing with each other out of envy to win a deeper love and affection from the matriarch or the patriarch only to realize that when you accomplish the thing you thought would gain your approval the victory is short-lived and seems to fade away and disappointments resurface many successful artists crave the love of the people and so in hopes of remaining relevant they'll crash and burn to the ground the higher they aim to do something memorable in hopes of achieving it on the other side of that society tends to love and exalt many for their gifts and holds them as models of what man should aspire to be but knowingly too often turns him like an eye to terrible character self-harm and abuse through drugs alcohol and emotional and mental traumas see humans have this innate ability no matter how well things are going we tend to er and miss our marks knowledge from the bible teaches that these are effects of the fall so it's very reasonable through history scriptural truth to understand that these inborn qualities of sin will naturally pollute confuse our desires and hopes and love within our everyday lifestyles while i was wrestling with some of these thoughts a powerful word from god it shot up like a flare in a dark place and it brought this inner joy and safety around some of these inner realizations that in life many things will fail us it's a truth only for those specifically who follow jesus but it's also an invitation for peace and assurance for those seeking rest it says we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of god and hope does not disappoint us because god's love has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit which has been given to us this holy spirit of god given to those waiting eagerly for jesus is a guarantee that indeed who and what we expect and hope for in the man jesus christ will not fail us and the love of god reassures us that this is [Music] true [Applause] i got a firm foundation our rock the only solid ground as nations rise and fall [Music] kingdoms once strong now shaken we trust forever name in the name of jesus [Music] we trust the name of jesus you are victorious [Music] are unmatched in all your wisdom [Music] we bring our expectations our hope is anchored in your name in the name of jesus [Music] we trust the name of jesus you are foreign [Music] yes you are you reign in victory [Music] we live the name of jesus almighty [Music] victoria foreign if you know he's worthy of the praise i want you to join us and sing this song [Music] hallelujah [Music] make it louder jesus we shout your name jesus we make your praise you are glorious [Music] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] your love remains forever foreign guys we'll make it louder you are glorious yes you are [Music] forever make it louder [Music] jesus so glorious [Music] jesus jesus christ yay so you are shout it out and glory make it louder jesus we shout your name jesus we make your praise you are glorious god you're glorious tonight you're glorious tonight oh come on just right there just begin to call on him just begin to worship him so glorious you are so worthy of the praise you are [Music] yes [Music] yes are glorious [Music] hi my name is katie i'm a part of tsc young adults and i want to tell you about the connect group autumnal activities in this group we young adults got together and did various outdoor activities for example we went hiking apple picking trip to the zoo and other fun activities around new york city when kova 19 hit and we all went into isolation i honestly found myself distancing from the tsc community i was ignoring the updates from tsc i wasn't attending young adult meetings and i wasn't a part of any connect groups finally i came to the end of myself i was tired of watching other people live their lives through social media or the tv shows i watched on netflix i really craved to make real connections with people what i was looking for was to be a part of a community to find friends after joining the connect group i was a little hesitant and even reluctant to participate in activities but i took a leap of faith and joined the group on a trip to the central park zoo then later in the month we went hiking to this day those two trips are now my best memories through the group i discovered great friends whom i trust and joy that i hadn't felt in months after the autumn connect group ended i wanted to continue making connections with more people i felt moved to keep getting involved with the church which led me to where i am now feeling happy loved and fulfilled today whatever your reason may be i encourage you to get involved and join a connect group as i've learned during the last few months the church isn't the building but the people you can go to tsc.nyc groups right now to choose and sign up for a group that is just right for you all that i am and all that i have is beautifully made by your hands there are no questions there is no doubt that you look at me and feel proud [Music] you're not embarrassed you're not ashamed you stand and wonder i am loved by you [Music] [Music] i am i am [Music] oh [Music] are is questions not embarrassed you're not ashamed you stand in wonderland i am loved by you [Music] i am loved by you [Music] your love's always [Music] empty [Music] [Music] empty your love grows [Music] i am loved by you i am loved i am loved by you i am loved i am loved by you jesus i am lord i am thank you god [Music] what's up everyone so happy you decided to join us tonight whether you're new to young adults or a long time member we want to stay connected with you one of our favorite ways to do this is through our friday night discussions at 7pm on zoom this is where we get a chance to go over both timeless truths and current events from a biblical outlook hear testimonies and encouragement from our peers and leaders and also split into smaller breakout groups in order to build deeper friendships as you heard from katie we also have a new semester of connect group starting that you definitely want to check out another aspect of young adults is our daily bible reading plan where we read a chapter together accompanied by an audio guide and then discuss both the questions and insights that we gathered for more information on everything young adult check out our website at tsc.nyc young adults and follow us on instagram also feel free to email us at youngadults tsc.nyc again we're so excited to have you here and really want to get to know [Music] you [Music] jesus be the center of it all [Music] be it's always been you jesus oh jesus and jesus jesus be the center of it [Music] from beginning to the end [Music] jesus nothing else nothing in this world everything revolves around you [Music] jesus jesus be the center of my life [Music] jesus be the center of my life from beginning to the end it will always be it's always been you jesus jesus [Music] nothing in this world will do [Music] nothing else nothing else jesus [Music] everything revolves around you jesus you [Music] it's all about you yes it's all about you and from my heart [Music] [Music] oh jesus christ [Music] world [Music] revolves around [Music] hey guys glad you're here with us let's pray father we just thank you for everything that you've been doing so far as we've been together lord uh we invite you to be honored lord in fact we acknowledge you as the son of god living god and we call on your name lord that today you would speak to hungry hearts you would answer prayers lord and you would guide your people into your promises into your leading and the future that you have for every person who hears lord we love you and are so grateful in jesus mighty name we pray amen this month the entire world celebrates love or rather people all over the world will celebrate their version of romantic love it appears there's little agreement about what love is and why relationships are so complicated i thought i'd share a moment from natasha and i story with you guys um so we were standing across from each other in a moving subway train time moved in slow motion as we held onto the railings about two feet apart her face was glowing and her gentle eyes were locked into mine and i struggled to breathe with all the feelings of the moment because it was the day before we got engaged and in front of me it stood the love of my life i foundly finally found her and we would be together forever i couldn't shake the gratitude of that morning and what was beginning uh to happen in my life oh how things would change when we finally got married and began to build a life together we were about to enter the classroom of what real love and commitment is about today thanks to our cultural obsession with sexuality our main understanding of love seems to censor around intimacy the dream of finding lasting fulfillment in a romantic relationship can seem unattainable for some and when it comes to love most people christians included fall into the category of either fear disillusionment or regret you may not get the full definition of love while watching the romantic comedies on netflix but the bible is very intent on defining and explaining what true love is i want to tell you three things you need to know about love god wants you to find true love there is is a right way to love and love is worth the wait to begin god wants you to find true love the hearts nagging for love is relentless we may give up on the noble pursuit of romantic love and shift to the shallow and momentary pursuits of pleasure but the fact remains we continue to pursue because there is a deep hole in our hearts listen to these lyrics from john bellion's song stupid deep what if all the things i've done were just attempts at earning love because the hole inside my heart is stupid deep why has life become a plan to put some money in my hand when the love i really need is stupid cheap the hole in our hearts is probably more like an open festering wound and it's full of unfulfilled longing the only thing's worse than having a stupid deep hole in our hearts is to make that hole deeper when natasha and i got married we began our life together we quickly discovered that our ideas of love and each other's expectations didn't really match the fact added that fact added to all the emotions and emotional baggage from the previous relationships we've had culminated in an epic initial disappointment natasha was the right person for me and i was hers but we realized we'd never be able to fully satisfy each other's deep longing for love we should know that it's not going to be pornography not exhilarating dates or expensive gifts not even sex that stupid deep hole in our hearts is shaped not like a diamond ring or a bare human body but exactly the shape of the love of jesus your heart is longing for true love and you will find it every time by responding to the love of jesus c.s lewis spoke of the heart's many longings this way he said we are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists if i find in myself a desire which no experience in the world can satisfy the most probable explanation is that i was made for another world probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it by only to arouse it the things which arouse the heart are multiplying by the hour and each one reveals that our hearts are dead broke god is calling out to us in this condition in isaiah 55 verse 1 it says all who are thirsty come to the water you who have no money come buy and eat and then the message paragraph puts verse three in this way i'm making a lasting covenant commitment with you of shore solid enduring love the plan of love god has for you starts with filling that stupid deep hole of your heart with the living water of a relationship with him there is a right way to love if you ever fell in love and experienced the roller coaster of all the incredible feelings you can thank god because it was his idea but god's plan for humanity was never for us to get lost in an endless maze of heartbreak while we look for a healthy romantic relationship i was taught as a teen to compare my capacity for love to duct tape duct tape is intended to be stuck on only one thing for the duration of its existence if you stick it to more than one object tear it off and then reuse it it loses its hold quickly just a few goes and it can't even hold dirt how many times has your heart been broken the bible warns us to protect our hearts in proverbs 4 23 it says above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it just to love someone romantically is to make yourself vulnerable to invite that person into the most sensitive chambers of your being if you let someone in who's unworthy or maybe before you're ready the damage they caused will touch every part of your life like the verse says everything you do flows out of your heart it might seem like a strange or even a profound statement in our confused culture and time but god created romantic love to exist only in marriage romance is intended to lead to sex which becomes the glue of a romantic relationship protected by marriage every sexual experience by nature unites or glues the individuals and vlog involved to each other and there is an expectation of commitment and mutual vulnerability that's always going to be present there it's what jesus referred to in mark chapter 10 verse 8 when he said that two people would become one or one flesh let me ask you an honest question what are you looking for in a relationship or looking to get from a relationship if today that person of your dreams came into your life to stay what would you want to get out of that relationship we might say a few sweet things if we're but if we're really honest we'd want that person to make us really feel really good about ourselves as often as possible to satisfy our deepest physical and emotional cravings to sacrifice for us endlessly and to always look good for us and your expectations in a relationship will affect the health of your bond in that relationship selfishness does not help your love grow instead it destroys your chances at building something that would last now compare some of your answers to what the bible says our love should look like in first corinthians 13 4-5 this is the love chapter it says love is patient love is kind love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude it does not demand its own way it's not irritable and it keeps no record of being wrong then in verse 7 it says love never gives up never loses faith it always is hopeful and endures through every circumstance no wonder we didn't succeed in some of our past relationships love is an action verb that is willing to do everything possible to benefit the object of its love it's not about getting for ourselves everything we ever wanted it's about patiently serving each other and trusting that we will get our meets our needs met with time i can confidently say that whatever is redeemable about me today is a result of being married to natasha god has taught me for the last 11 years to love what may be less lovable about her through my personal shortcomings and number three love is worth the wait solomon the most famous lover in the bible said this about timing and songs of solomon 8 verses 4 verse 4 do not awaken love until the time is right your romantic relationship will become a gift if god blesses it and he will bless it if you obey and honor him in that relationship marriage is incredibly valuable to god because he designed it to reflect his commitment to the church if you don't know what a healthy marriage should look like you could look at how jesus loved treated his church he went all the way to the cross to save the people he loves pastor tim dalina recently said something really powerful about relationships and the future marriages god chose mary to become jesus's earthly mother and joseph to be his earthly stepfather how different would history become if the angel gabriel arrived to bring the incredible message about the coming messiah and the couple while still engaged happen to have an oops moment and sin sexually if you love someone and want to marry them wait for the wedding day and don't tempt the incredible plans god has for your future by falling into impurity through lack of accountability and impatience first thessalonians four verses three through nine say this way it is god's will that you should be sanctified that you should avoid sexual immorality that each of you should learn to control your own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable and not in passionate lust like the pagans it's not easy to stay pure in a relationship these days but it's not impossible and whatever the challenge might be the rewards of a marriage blessed by god are worth the fight and if we're gonna call marriage god's gift we need to also mention that being single is god's gift as well yes marriage is a gift and so is being single and there really are benefits to both and if you could see you could see this in first corinthians chapter 7 verses 7 through 9. celibacy is not for everyone and no more than marriage is god gives the gift of singleness or single life to some and the gift of married life to others you should treat your time while single as a gift and as we just read if you struggle to say stay single god's plan for you is marriage the right person and the right timing is key to that healthy relationship that would end in marriage and this is why building a solid christian community is is so important your loyal friends and trusted leaders they will help you to discern the right person and the right time and you can make friends by joining a connect group and stay in touch with the people that you meet there and there will be many connect groups to to choose from as you check out the website uh the church website and you'll hear more about that in a minute and as we close there is true love for the deep hole of our hearts and it starts with a relationship with jesus and that relationship can start for you right now if you've never made that decision and that process is actually as simple as abc a stands for admit admit that i'm a sinner that we are ready to be honest with god about the condition of our hearts and our lives which is called sin we cannot fix it with any promises any programs a pastor can't fix it for you we need help to fix us i am broken inside and the diagnosis is sin and i admit that i am a sinner we're not mistaken in need of correction we are sinners in need of a savior we need more than a second chance and as andy stanley said we need a second birth b stands for believe believe that god sent his son to fix our sinful condition i can't fix myself and if we could fix ourselves then god putting his son through the suffering he went through on the cross is the ultimate case of child abuse if i could get myself to heaven by being good then jesus would never have to come on the cross and die on the cross for me jesus's death was behind becoming my sin bearer he died a death that i should have died live the life that i should have lived and gave a reward which is heaven that i could never deserve and finally c is for confess confess jesus as lord christianity is coming to a person and not a place and that person is in charge he is lord as romans 10 9 and verse 10 say lord means boss if i don't do what god wants for an hour on sunday god gets every day just that's what lord our lordship means just as you had a first birth jesus says you need a second birth your first birthday was in a hospital and that was your birthday physically now it's time for you to have a second birthday spiritually that can happen right now and if you're ready i want you to pray this prayer with me let's pray together dear lord jesus i believe that you are the son of god i believe that on the cross you took my sin my shame and my guilt and you died for it i believe that you faced hell for me so that i should not have to go and you rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven and a purpose on earth and a relationship with your father in heaven today lord jesus i turned from my sin to be born again god is my father jesus is my savior the holy spirit is my helper [Music] and heaven is my home in jesus name amen hey everyone we are so glad you joined us and we hope you are blessed don't forget that connect groups have started and are in full swing it's a great way to find community make solid friends and grow as a christian we're also looking for people to start and lead new connect groups it could be a connect group about making art learning to cook going over podcasts or any other concepts for more information on joining or leading a connect group visit tsc.nyc groups we love you and we hope to see you again soon [Music] you

Channel: Times Square Church Young Adults

Views: 1,117

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: 7cSkS26VkFY

Length: 44min 25sec (2665 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 05 2021