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hey family i’m pastor torre
i’m pastor sarah and listen you’re
getting ready to hear an incredible word
for the lord i believe it’s going to
bless you
i believe it’s going to be timely do me
a favor
share the message if it moves you share
the message and then also you have an
opportunity to be a part of
not only helping to spread this message
but to be a part of our outreaches
we’re doing a lot of practical things to
be a blessing to someone so feel free if
god so moves you
to use the information here in the video
to support what we’re doing we’re being
a blessing not just people spiritually
we’re being a blessing to people
practically we love you get into this
message
and change your life
hallelujah god i’m so grateful that your
word
is good you don’t mince words there’s
there’s nothing in between you
say what you mean you mean what you say
and you’re not a man that you should lie
and you’re not the son of man that you
should repent
when you speak it it’s good and so we
thank you for your word and we’re going
to get into it right now and
and i just want to greet you in the name
of the lord jesus
once again and and just say again happy
new year this is
incredible this is our first sunday in
the new year and
and you’re doing the right thing i’m
telling you you’re getting into the
presence of god and you’re
you’re seeking out his word it’s going
to be a lap until your feet a light into
your path this is the best way
to kick off the year and i’m so excited
to begin
this new series called starting over and
we’re going to unpack a lot of things
i’m excited about today’s installment of
the word i believe it’s going to bless
you
get your pen get your paper ready if you
love somebody you need to text them and
let them know it’s going down
right now and they need to experience
this word because i believe it’s going
to be rich and powerful and i want to
get right into it
i want to draw your attention to haggai
chapter 2 and verse 9. we scratched the
surface just a little bit
on this anchor passage on our new year’s
eve service if you didn’t see that
conversation between
myself and pastor sarah and it was just
an amazing time
if you didn’t experience it it’s on
youtube you can find it
uh right here on the channel right here
on the feed if you’re
listening via podcast then then you know
it will be there as well but again you
want to
experience that word because i believe
that it sets
up uh this year and i’m just so excited
and we made it hallelujah do me a favor
just put it right there in the feed if
you’re thankful to god that you
made it just say i made it thank you god
just give him a little bit of praise
this morning a little bit of honor a
little bit of glory
just come on just say i made it i made
it i
made it i made it thank god i’ve
made it hallelujah
and i still believe that the best is yet
to come in fact that’s always true
because it says that we go from glory to
glory hallelujah and speaking of glory
to glory
haggai 2 and 9 and it reads like this
the glory of this latter temple
shall be greater than the former says
the lord of hosts who cannot lie
he says and then and in this place i
will give peace
says the lord of hosts let’s pray
almighty god we thank you so much for
your word it is truth
it is enlightening it builds us up it
edifies us it
it shows us the way and we’re so
grateful and father i’m thankful for
your sons and daughters who have
gathered around the table that you have
prepared today hallelujah
and you’re going to feed us all to the
full you’re going to bless us
you’re going to enlighten us you’re
going to encourage us
you’re going to give us clarity where
there was cloudiness
clarity where there was confusion
hallelujah
and we’re going to be better because of
this time we spent here in your courts
and in your presence
we love you we bless you we thank you
in the mighty name of jesus we pray amen
hallelujah amen amen this this series is
called
starting over and i believe that we are
in a time
of rebuilding if you tuned into our new
year’s eve service i talked about how i
believe that this pandemic
was similar to a play in having
the curtains close for a season you know
when you go into intermission
so that the stage could be rearranged
and i believe that this
next act will exceedingly excel
the former and the worst thing
that you and i can do in this season
is to wait around for normal
to return because here’s the thing
we are actually what we are calling
normal
no matter how good it was is the former
that’s why paul said forgetting those
things that are behind and reaching
forward to those things that are ahead
so the best is not behind you
the best is always in front of you look
at what it says hang out 2 and 9 again
the glory of this
ladder temple shall be greater
than the former that’s powerful so that
means that
the reason why i cannot be waiting for
normal to return watch this
is because now the former normal
is lesser now the latter shall be
greater than the former the former
is lesser but the challenge is we can’t
see it yet
because the latter that’s coming hasn’t
fully come
it hasn’t been developed i want to draw
your attention to another passage of
scripture that is
that correlates well it’s actually at
the same time haggai is prophesying
during the time of the rebuilding of the
temple and
the book of ezra speaks about that
process and there is an
interesting bit of revelation that i
want to show you i’m going to read a
little bit
and you can track with me it says then
all the people shouted with the great
shout
when they praised the lord because the
foundation
of the house of the lord was laid
but many of the priests and levites and
head of the father’s houses
old men who had seen watch this who had
seen the first
temple wept with a loud voice
when the foundation of this temple was
laid before their eyes
so so watch this and i’m going to keep
reading just a second but watch this
so so they are rebuilding the temple
because the
former had been destroyed and
and they’re there and and the people
started praising god
and shouting but there were some in the
camp
who were weeping because they were still
thinking about
the first temple it says old men who had
seen the first
temple wept with a loud voice when the
foundation of this temple this new
temple
was laid before their eyes so so they
were having
they were seeing two things they were
seeing
the past or the former and what was and
they were also seeing what was to come
but
it was in the beginning of what was to
come and so oftentimes
we struggle with with letting go
of of the idea of normal
based on the former because the fullness
of what is to come has not yet been
revealed but let’s keep reading because
there’s something interesting
and i’m going to show you a discipline
that we must have in order to move
forward properly in this new season
and lay hold of everything that god has
called us to do so it says now
so so the old men wept we see that with
the loud voice when the foundation of
this temple was laid before their eyes
yet many shouted allowed for joy so
you’ve got these two things happening
you’ve got the weeping for the former
and
the the shouting allowed for joy
of that which was on its way it says now
it gets interesting
it says so these two things are
happening so that the
people could not discern
the noise of the shout of joy from the
noise of
the weeping of the people for the people
shouted with a loud shout and the sound
was heard afar off what does this mean
this means that we are going to have to
navigate watch this we’re going to have
to navigate
the mourning of the former and the
merriment
toward the future you got to catch what
i just said
we are going to have to learn how to
navigate the fact that we’re sad about
some things that we lost
and there’s some things that used to be
normal to us that we had
grown accustomed to and we’re gonna have
to learn how to navigate
the morning over those things with the
merriment
and the the mirth the excitement the joy
about what is to come and and and and
the interesting thing is
not only are we going to have to
navigate that outside of us
but we’re going to have to navigate that
inside of us we’re going to have to
navigate
navigate that dichotomy in the world
and also in the world of our own lives
are you tracking with me
because it’s going to be noisy in this
rebuilding season
it’s going to be noisy both inside and
outside
but when we learn to manage that
conflict well
we’re going to succeed i feel like
preaching i want to help you to
understand that
so you’re going to be sad at times but
you got to learn how to be sad and glad
you can’t be overcome so overcome with
sadness about the former that you don’t
celebrate with gladness that the god
who cannot lie and who cannot fail whose
word is true
is gonna bring the latter glory to pass
if you receive that put it in there
right now
just put i receive the latter glory yes
i might have to cry
yes things may take a while for them to
be rebuilt again
but i just believe by faith that my
ladder is going to be so much greater
than my former and since i believe it
i’m not going to be overcome with
darkness i’m going to praise god for the
light that’s on the way
if that’s your word so that’s me pt i’m
going to bless him at all times
i’m going to thank him at all times yes
it’s difficult but i believe that i’m
going from
glory to glory the best is yet to
i feel god on that
[Music]
i feel the lord but we’ve got much
ground to cover
it’s going to be noisy but we’re going
to have to manage that inner conflict
because it’s going to be a part of you
that wants what was
and and that’s that’s normal that is
natural i’m not i’m not you know
i’m not mad at you for that i’m not
condemning you or judging you for that
i’m just saying that you can’t be
overtaken by that
you’ve got to be like the people you got
because there’s going to be those two
sounds there’s going to be the two
sounds outside of you
and some people around you are not going
to be able to handle your optimism
they’re not going to be able to support
your optimism so from the inside
out you are going to have to manage
those two realities are you tracking
with me if you’re tracking with me put
it right there in the comments i’m
tracking with you pt i’m tracking i’m
tracking with you pt
and so as it relates to this rebuilding
we are called you and i the church the
body
of believers god’s children everywhere
we’re called to create and establish
this greater normal this new normal the
latter
in fact if you will hear me clearly
we are in the formative stage of what we
will one day call normal
in other words we’re not waiting for
normal
normal is happening and god has called
you and i to create it
to build it we’re not waiting for it
we’re building it right now
like we talked about a couple of weeks
ago go through the gates prepare the way
for the people remember that
build up clear out the highway
normal is not back there normal is upon
us
and we must seize watch this this
opportunity
to set the stage this is not the time
to be timid nor the time
to procrastinate this is our moment
there are spots to be filled
there is a place for you in this
rebuilding that god is doing
and more specifically hear me we’re
charged with the task
of discovering and playing our role
in the rearranging of the stage that god
is setting
i’m giving you a new job right now
you’re a set designer
you’re a set builder this is your new
job but before i tell you
how to start this process of starting
over
and how to start this process of
building the new
and the better normal i need us to be
clear on what it is we’re building
you say what are we building pt i’m
gonna tell you straight out
we are building temples
we’re building temples write that down
we’re building temples
temples yes temples we’re building gods
and ours we’re building temples we’re
temple builders
so let’s talk about that god’s and ours
what is god’s temple
god’s temple is his kingdom
his kingdom is not a physical
location it is bigger than that we have
physical locations
we do things in the physical but his
kingdom is so much bigger
it is his reign and his rule it is his
love
it is his power it is his peace
it is what he is perpetually
increasing and consistently and
constantly
increasing in the earth until the whole
world is filled with the knowledge
and the glory of the lord and we are
temple builders
we are kingdom builders we are building
god’s temple
and we also are building ours
god’s temple is his kingdom our temple
is our life it’s our lives and
both both both must be built
and it will happen simultaneously and
automatically
if our priorities are intact can i teach
you today
see that’s what the word means in
matthew 6 33 when it says
seek first the kingdom and his
righteousness
and all other things shall be added unto
you
did you know that everything that you
need is in god’s house
it’s in god’s kingdom it’s in god’s
temple and he knows that
and he is developing us in the
discipline
of prioritization god if i
put your temple first if i put your
kingdom first
if i put your agenda first
then you would take care of my my little
agenda you’ll take care of my little
life
i believe that god hear me is building
a leaner and more effective
and impactful church i feel the lord let
me say it again
i believe that god is building a leaner
and more effective and
and impactful church and i also believe
that god is building a
leaner and more aligned you oh god
two temples his temple his church his
body his kingdom leaner more effective
and more impactful but he’s also
building a leaner
and more aligned you and here is the
thing
the more evolved the more aligned and
the more
whole your temple the better you reflect
his glory
did you catch it it is a two for one
when i grow my expression of god grows
when i become more like jesus the world
gets better
when i evolve and begin to take on his
form and his likeness
i begin to build bridges from god to man
incredible bridges that meet every
single need in the world gets better
so god wants us to be temple builders
building two temples his temple
and our temple are you attracted to me
even scripturally the temple
oftentimes is referred or our bodies
rather
are referred to as the temple are you
tracking with me
and when one grows the other grows when
i get
better i reflect god’s better i reflect
the lord better
and these two happenings are
inextricably
connected are you track it with me
let’s look at haggai again i want to
unpack some things can i teach today
right will you let me just not not shout
or whatever but just just teach you i
promise it’ll make sense to you
so in haggai one of the things i love
about haggai it says and the glory of
this latter temple shall be greater than
the former
says the lord of hosts watch this and
then he says and
in this place
i will give peace says the lord
of hosts in this place i love that in
this place
i will get faith now here’s what’s
important it’s important to recognize
that god is rebuilding in the same spot
if if we take it back to the temple for
context
he is not the temple has been destroyed
but god has not chosen somewhere else
to rebuild he’s building in the same
spot which means that watch this and
this is important for you
god hasn’t given up on his original
intention
the idea was good it’s just that what it
had become
didn’t look quite like the idea i feel
that
that’s a word for you god hasn’t given
up on you
i don’t care how much
loss you care i care about you but what
i’m saying is
he hasn’t given up on you in the same
spot and in the same life
god’s going to build this new thing for
you are you tracking with me
the idea was good it’s just that
what it had become didn’t look quite
like god’s plan you know the word says
that
before i formed you in your mother’s
womb i knew you
got in essence is saying before you got
here i saw you and
and life becomes the place of shaping
life becomes the potter’s wheel and if
you think about
clay or something on the potter’s wheel
it is constantly
perpetually and consistently being
shaped and molded
and sometimes there are moments in the
process
of that spinning where it looks like
whatever is created is beginning to take
form
and you’re like oh i’m almost done and
then all of a sudden there’s
some sort of a shift on the axis and it
gets kind of loosey again
and yet god is still spinning it
bringing it more to
the perfect idea that he had now god’s
gonna build
in this place in the same spot
same spot new construction
same body new insides
same brain new vision
same tools new mission
are you tracking with me however
there’s something that we all need
before we can rebuild and set the stage
something that we all need we can’t
start without this
before we run full steam ahead towards
building we have to take a beat
and that thing that we need is
reflection
is reflection the first step
in starting over and building the
greater normal
the latter and the better temple
is reflection here’s
why otherwise if we don’t stop to
reflect before we build
otherwise we run the risk
of rebuilding what we built
in the past remember which is now
lesser you have to understand that we
have more
history with what was
than we do with what is coming
you got to catch that so so our rhythm
already you have to understand when god
is doing a new thing
our rhythm has to be reestablished
and i know we’re excited oh it’s a new
year and
oh 2021 is all new but let me tell you
something
you ain’t wired for new yet you’re still
wired for the former and so until you
and i
stop and have a serious
season of reflection we run the danger
in going back to because of rhythm
to building the lesser
are you tracking through me put it right
there put it in the comments i’m
tracking with you i’m tracking with you
yeah we got more history see see we have
to first before we move forward
we have to first seek to figure out
what was unprofitable about the old
season
or what needs to improve
we need reflection put it in the feed
right there i need reflection i need
reflection
because reflection is the doorway
to perspective and perspective
going forward is a must-have
perspective is a non-negotiable and the
only way
that you and i can get to a clear
perspective
is through reflection
and i want to give you your own
personal reflection exercise
that i want you to employ between now
and next week when we’re together
and we continue in this series these are
eight
reflection questions that you need to
ask yourself are you ready
you got your pen write these questions
down
what did i learn
what did i learn in the last season
sometimes we are constantly learning
but never applying what we learned i
feel that
that’s the difference between wisdom and
understanding
wisdom is learning understanding
is applying what you learn so that you
can experience the fruit
of what the last season taught you what
did i learn that’s the first question
for your reflection exercise the second
thing is
what did i gain hallelujah let me tell
you something
as much loss
there was in 2020 baby
we gained some things we gained
endurance
we gained faith we gained perspective we
learned
some things in 2020. we didn’t come out
of 2020
empty sometimes what you gain was
intangible
but you and i need to figure out what am
i
bringing into 2021 that i did not have
in 2020
because i’m telling you we are better
now
even though we’ve been broken by so many
things what did i gain
what did i learn first what did i gain
what did i lose
let’s be real what did i lose
and really unpack what you lost because
one of the things that i’m learning is
watch this
some things i lost so that i can gain
i wish you checked that see what i’ve
learned about life
is that we only have a certain amount of
spots for things in our lives and
sometimes when god wants to bring you
better he removes lesser
and we’re like oh my god i’m going to
die i didn’t know i could make it
without this i didn’t know i could oh my
god i got another
next year you know god upgrades you
sometimes god has to to to cause you
to lose in order to win are you tracking
with me
what did i learn what did i gain what
did i lose
here’s a here’s an interesting one what
did i love
and did it love me back no we’re going
to dig
in and really begin to reflect what
did i set my heart upon
and was it a worthy investment
we’re going deep what did i learn what
did i gain
what did i lose what did i love and did
it love me back watch this here’s
another one
this is important where did i find value
and was it healthy
where did i find value where did my
value come from
did it come from likes or comments
or views or followers or
attention from those that
were attracted to you where where where
come on we’re going to dig deep
where did i find value
and let’s be real when did i feel alive
and was it healthy or was it not healthy
what did i learn what did i gain what
did i lose
what did i love and did it love me back
where did i find value and was it
healthy
watch this what were my priorities
and were they profitable uh-huh
i didn’t come to play because we’re
gonna get this thing right
yeah these are the questions i’m
learning that reflection they’re more in
just a second but i’m learning
that reflection has to do with the hard
questions
that you’re willing to ask yourself what
were my priorities
and were they profitable what did i put
first did i put others first or did i
put me first
what what did i i give the majority of
my time and my attention to and that it
profit me
or simply distract me confuse me
we’ve got to answer these questions
what did i learn what did i gain what
did i lose what did i love and didn’t
love me back
whether i find value was it healthy
what were my priorities and were they
profitable here’s the
biggest question you gotta ask who am i
now
you’re not the same person that you were
on january 3rd
2019. you’re somebody different
and this was the point the ladder is
going to be so much greater than the
former you’re not that same person
and you have to dig into the presence of
god and dig into yourself
and dig into the wisdom of god and look
in the mirror
and ask yourself who
am i
now hallelujah
what did i learn what did i gain what
did i lose
what did i love and did it love me back
what did i find value
was it healthy what were my priorities
and were they profitable who
am i now and last but not least and
we’re going to dig
further into this next week but what do
i
need to do daily to maintain that
new identity and live out that destiny
oh you got some homework ahead of you
but
god gave me this and i believe
that as you ask these questions and
analyze the answers i believe that god
is going to reveal to you his strategy
for building his temple
and your own as you dig into this it’s
about reflection
you know i had i’ve got so much to tell
you about
vision and and connection and all these
things we’re going to talk about in the
coming weeks but god said hold up
it’s not the time to run out there there
will be
a trumpet there will be a starter pistol
coming soon
and when that starter pistol goes off
carpe diem seize the day it’s coming yes
yes yes yes yes it’s coming
but i don’t want you to run fast in the
wrong direction
running fast is only an asset it’s only
valuable when you’re running towards the
goal
when you’re running towards the mark
because you can run fast and go nowhere
and this is too critical of time it’s a
time for rebuilding and as i mentioned
before
you are a part
of the crew that’s resetting the stage
that god is building and he’s
getting ready to reveal and as you do
this
as you as you ask yourself these
questions as you dig deep
as you sit with god as you sit with god
he’s going to rebuild these things to
you
yeah no no i was speaking as some of you
i was even tempted
on the first of january to just run out
there and
and god says hold up
swell up he didn’t say that
he said take a minute son
rest get in my presence
seek my face you have never been this
way before
oh believe me you you will have plenty
of time and opportunity
to run forward and to run ahead but but
you need to reflect
and this is a deep reflection and it
takes time
but i believe that if you will do the
work
that i’ve laid out here with the
understanding this is a message you got
to listen to over and over and over
again
i’m not trying to shout you up right now
i’m trying to bring you to an
elevated place because you are part of
god’s plan he is rebuilding you
and he’s going to use you to rebuild
his temple and we’re going to continue
next week
and we’re going to get even more
practical and it’s going to become even
more powerful and here’s the beautiful
thing
you’re going to be clearer by this time
next week
you’re going to have so many notes and
it’s going to be so much insight and so
much understanding that comes to you
and and and this new version of you is
going to begin to take form and you’re
going to learn
that new rhythm and you’re gonna learn
how to walk in and i’m gonna teach you
and i’m gonna show you and i’m gonna
lead you
well i’m doing the same thing for myself
and 2021
it’s going to be a year of great victory
and great triumph
ta-da is still headed
in your direction i want to pray for you
[Music]
father i thank you so much thank you god
for
bringing us through
and god although the former things have
passed away
and we’re still trying to wrap our arms
around in our mind around
what the new normal is we’re grateful
that you are with us
and you’re for us and you’ll never
forsake us
and father i’m praying right now for all
that are under the sound of my voice
lord hallelujah
that as they move into this time of
reflection glory
as they move into this time of
soul-searching and seeking and seeking
your face
lord that you would meet them with
wisdom meet them with revelation
meet them with insight meet them with
understanding
hallelujah meet them in a deep way and
then god
i thank you that you’re going to reveal
them
to them you’re going to show us who we
are
now and then as you did with david
you’re going to teach our hands to fight
hallelujah you’re going to teach us how
to move and what to do you’re going to
teach us
where to go and what to pursue you’re
going to teach us what to
embrace and what to refrain from embrace
embracing you’re gonna teach us what to
love and what not to love hallelujah
you’re gonna teach us
what to give our hearts to and and what
to take our heart back from
you’re gonna teach us how to be great
it’s gonna be amazing thank you god
for doing this for us
your sons and daughters so that
as we evolve and as we grow
and as we build our temple we will be
brilliant expressions
and reflections of yours
thank you god for doing this in jesus
name
[Music]
now listen as some of you and you
haven’t been
to church and in god’s house and in this
type of
experience in a long time and i don’t
want to take anything for granted
god is real jesus is real he is the
truth and
i don’t i don’t
i’m not moved by sadly some of the
poor representations of what it means to
be a believer what it means to be a
christian that
sadly is prevalent in our world but one
thing you got to remember
is that a counterfeit is only profitable
if there’s a real thing
and there is a real thing and there is a
real life
and there is a real journey and there is
a real faith worth
laying your life down to pursue
there are people both great and small
who have tasted and seen that the gospel
which means good news of jesus is worthy
of laying
everything down and embracing
as a parable in the scripture about a
man who was
shopping in a field he was he was a a
merchant who
amassed treasures he would seek out
treasures and and he went into this one
field and he found a pearl of great
price
and he sold everything he had and bought
it
it’s like that imagine
being loved so
incredibly and so thoroughly and so
entirely that
all you want to do is spend the rest of
your life in the presence of the author
of that love
it’s real and anything
that you would have to give up so to
speak
in order to walk with god god promises
to multiply it 100 fold in this life
and afterwards experience the great gift
of eternal life
so if that’s you and you just
maybe you stumbled across this or maybe
someone invited you to this
and you say i feel something special and
something different
and something unique and
i want to open up my heart to it i want
to open up my spirit to it let me tell
you something
god doesn’t want from you he wants
for you jeremiah 29-11
for i know the plans that i have for you
says the lord they’re good and not evil
plans to prosper you and not to harm you
to give you a future
and a hope if that’s you and you’re
watching
and you say pastor i want to open up my
heart to jesus i
i want love like that i want love that
that
delivers me from loneliness i want
love that heals my insecurity i want
love that heals my mind and heals my
body i want
i want love that that that breaks
depression off of my life
i want love that that makes me excited
to get out of the bed in the morning to
journey to experience what might god
have for me
on this day if i want to be loved
unconditionally if i want to
not be judged by where i’ve been or what
i’ve been through or what i’m struggling
with but to be loved
[Music]
unconditionally if that’s you
and you say i don’t want to step into
this crazy year i don’t want to step
into this crazy time
without being connected to that love
and i want to open up my heart and
receive that love today
i just want you to write there just say
i receive it
just say it say i receive it to say i
receive god’s love put in the feed i
receive god’s love
i receive god’s love and the manifest
expression of god’s love is jesus
[Music]
john 3 16 for god so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son jesus
is the perfect expression of the love of
god
and he will love you so good if that’s
you i receive
jesus i receive
jesus i receive the love of god
hallelujah
and i believe that as you receive see
receiving is everything
as you receive and as you have the
capacity to receive
he comes the greater watch this the
greater your ability to open up and
receive
the greater the measure of the love that
comes from god that you get to
experience
hallelujah and there’s so much more
i only scratch the surface of the life
that the christ comes to
secure for us keep putting it there i
receive jesus
i receive it put it there that’s me
that’s me
i’m not going into 2021 without jesus
and if you’re already connected with
jesus but you’ve
strayed away and you’re coming back home
just put it in the
feed put it in the comments hit us up
send us an email do whatever
and say i’m coming home i’m coming home
i’m coming home and to all of you
i say welcome home
you