Sermon
The Power of Praise
February 17-18, 2001
 Ken Poure

My name's Ken Poure, old Bubba Ken, down there in Palm Springs suffering for the Lord on the backside of the desert. (Congregation chuckles) Yes, anyway, good to be with you again. I just count it a real privilege to come and share, and the good thing about it is that I'm here not because pastor is sick or that he's in the hospital or is in some difficulty -- he's down in Mexico on a missionary trip right now. And so when he goes I get the privilege once in a while of coming and sharing with you, and giving you thoughts that I hope will be used by the spirit of God to enrich your life. We want to the good people, not for goodness' sake, but we want to be good that the other people might take a look at us and want what we've got. The whole idea is to be a witness for Christ. The Bible calls us ambassadors. We're ambassadors (chuckles), right, of the Lord, and again, it's a privilege to come and share with you thoughts that have been good for me and for my little sweetheart, Melba. She's a woman's leader in our church down in Palm Springs, and eight days ago we celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary (congregation applauds). Yes, yes, yes, all right -- and we've enjoyed life. And along the way we've had a lot of bumps, just like you do, and found out some wonderful truths about God's word. And what I want to do speak on this subject about praise. That doesn't sound exciting, but I want to tell you something about praise that you can hear the word off and on all your life and never experience it until you understand it in a way that's practical and relevant.

I'm not a real preacher in the sense of background. I spend my first 13 years as a used car dealer and that doesn't really prepare you for ministry in every way, but (congregation laughs) it gives you a lot of simple logic that works very good. And I remember one of my favorite arguments when I'd ask people if I couldn't sell them a car I always thought it was an up for the Lord, you know, so I'd give them a little shot for Jesus and I'd bump into atheists that didn't believe in a God, you know? And they just don't believe in God. I said well you know that's all right, I said, can I tell you something I don't believe in? They look at you kind of funny. Now we're on a car lot. You've got to see this in your mind, car dealer. I said, I want to tell you something I don't believe in. I said, I don't believe, and I'll point to whatever car, I said I don't believe anybody made that car. They say, what do you mean? I say I don't believe anybody made that car. Do you know where thing that came from? He said, no. Where? I said, well I think one day a longtime ago it just kind of grew out of the asphalt. (Congregation chuckles) This one guy looked at me and he said, you're weird. But I said when you tell me you don't believe there's a God in the universe, I said, where's your mind? You have to believe equations like this: nobody + nothing = everything. (Ken chuckles) I don't have that much faith. Or you have to believe this if you're an evolutionist: you have to believe that nonintelligent matter organized itself into highly intelligent forms. (Ken chuckles)

And when you begin to think about the things of God -- God is good and the Bible says in Romans 1, in many places, but in Romans 1, he says, God has revealed Himself in the things that He's made. Now we make things. Don't we make things? We understand when you see something classy, you say ohh somebody has talent there. When I see Tiger Woods take a swoosh with that, I say, the guy's got talent. And so I understand the idea of examining what is made in telling a lot about the one who made it. Is that a good -- you understand what I just said? Okay now, with that thought in mind you begin to look around and God is awesome. He's an awesome God. He designed everything and He makes everything fit. You know like a hand -- all the fingers are different lengths until you close your hand and they automatically become the same length. Ah so (Ken chuckles). Now see if that wasn't true you couldn't pick anything up. You would fumble around and it wouldn't work. Now, I mean, I'm just throwing that in -- but eyes, you know, Technicolor, wide-angle lenses, depth perception. A body that is phenomenal. Guy's up to bat -- pro ball -- the guy throws a ball 100 miles an hour. Now watch this guy cocked. At what point in the projectile does he make up his mind to hit the ball? Do you realize what has to go into action? But again, God is a great God and what I want to do this morning for the moment that I have is just to share with you the power that's wrapped into intelligent praise.

Now, again, I've worked at Hume Lake for 40 years, my wife and I together, and we've had a lot of fun. And we just praise the Lord for the opportunities, but kids have questions. You know kids. They've got questions. Always got questions. But the one question I've heard more and more, not only from kids, but from adults, how can I know God's will for my life? I used to have a little message that I'd give them, you know, dah dah dah dah dah. But not anymore. I don't do that anymore. If anyone asks me intelligently, sincerely, Mr. Poure, what is God's will for my life? I just hand them the Bible. I say here it is. This is God's word. This is God's software package. Software -- computer stuff (Ken chuckles). Thy word have I hid in my heart. Anyway, but the idea is to get in and understand that the truth that is revealed from this book is relevant. But we have to understand it to a degree before you can do truth, see? You never know truth until you do truth. You can talk about ice cream sundaes for a month and if you never eat one you don't know what it tastes like. You not only have to understand it you have to taste it. Then you say, Ah, now I know what they're talking about. And so it's the same way with truth. You never know truth until you do truth. Jesus said when you know the truth you'll be what? Free. Now He didn't say when you hear the truth. Because there's a difference between hearing the truth and knowing the truth. I'm not trying to confuse you, but I want you to see how relevant it is when it comes to this idea of praise.

If you have your Bibles turn with me to the book of Psalms, and let's start this real quickly at the very last -- let's start at 146. That's my wife and ours -- about five years ago we made this our life Psalm for the years that we have left. Now we're going to find out what God's will is for our life from God's software package. Psalms 146 starts off by saying, praise the Lord. The first three words, praise the Lord. Is that a request or a command? Now learn to think like that. There's a difference between promises, you can't obey a promise, you believe promises, right? And you can't believe a command. (Ken chuckles) You're to obey it. Now, it says praise the Lord. Praise the Lord O my soul while I live I will praise the Lord. I will sing praises to my God while I have any being, any consciousness. Melba and I we bought into that. As long as we're breathing breath we're going to praise God. Did you pick up a little hint as to what might be God's will for your life today? Let's try 147. It starts off and says: Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God. It is pleasant and praise is beautiful. We'll talk about that. Did you get a little hint, maybe? As to what God's will is for your life?

Let's try 148. It starts off: Praise the Lord. We bump into this thing again. Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights. Praise him all these angels, all the hosts, sun, moon, and stars. Praise him you heavens of heavens, waters in the heavens above. Praise the Lord. Interesting. Let's try 149. Praise the Lord. Here we are again. Sing to the Lord a new song and his praise in the assembly of the saints. Look at Psalms 150. Praise the Lord. There we are again. Praise the Lord in his sanctuary. Where are we? In a sanctuary, but do you know where the real sanctuary is? Our bodies are the temple of the spirit of God. So praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in his mighty firmament, that's the universe. Praise him for his mighty acts. Have you every just thought about his mighty acts? We just take them for granted. The greatest thing God ever built on this earth is our bodies. Chromosomes, we're down into that stuff, the further they go into the human cell it's absolutely phenomenal. God in his mighty acts, you know, not only this, but we have bodies that can -- 4 little taste buds, you can taste all the different kind of foods there are. Do you like that? Yes. Ears, 30,000 different tones -- the ear, 30,000 different tones. Bodies, you know, that can feel good. They can feel bad too, but they feel good.

Did you ever think about? This body that God made for us can reproduce. Now watch. We make things, don't we? We make cars, we'll make dah dah dah. Why can't we make things that can make things? Did you understand that? Why can't we have a Mercedes that has baby Mercedes? (Ken and Congregation laugh) That's a funny thought, isn't it? But you know, NASA has thought of that. But they admit they can't do it because they don't have the technology. Because in order to have a machine that can they can machine, you have to put information in the first machine that could make the second machine, which is more than the first machine. So it really gets complicated. So when you think about the mighty acts of God think about some of these things. Did you ever drive into Yosemite? Oh God, his handiwork, (Ken chuckles) and you really begin to realize how great God is. So the Bible says praise him for his mighty acts. That's a good thing when you're looking and you see something -- a beautiful sunset -- or the last night I looked up in the little parsonage thing they've got up here. I went out on the back talking to my wife on the phone there and I was overlooking whatever that is out there, San Bruno I think, and I said, honey, this is beautiful. She said, oh I wish I was there. But when you look at the beautiful, beautiful things of God learn to just turn your heart toward God and thank Him. And if you think this is something, you haven't seen anything yet. The Bible says eyes have never seen, ears have never heard, it's never entered into the heart of the reasoning of any human being the things that God is preparing for them that love Him. And I've got a wild imagination (Ken chuckles). And so when you come to the word of God praise Him with the sound of the trumpet, with the lute, with the harp. Praise Him with dance. Praise Him with the trimble. Whatever you've got use it to praise God. And then look at the sixth verse; let everything that has breath -- what? Praise the Lord. What are the last three words? (Congregation answers praise the Lord) Have you got to message yet?

I want to have a happy time with you, but my friend this subject that we have is the key. It's the key in the lock of all the rest of your walk with God. If you don't have this part together, you'll always be up and down like a yo-yo, and there's always that certain amount of transition in our lives. But even as we do have our ups and downs as we mature in the Lord, they should be going like this -- higher and higher. And we move right on up the ladder as we learn to enjoy the fullness of God, and then allow Him to live His life out through us. I'm not living for God. I'm letting God live through me. All I do is report for duty. Do you see? That's a tremendous thought. How does God work through us? Have you heard this; I've just got to work for God? Don't do that. Let's God work through you. The Bible says God is within us. As we trust Christ as our Savior and receive Him, then the Bible says the spirit of God is within us both to will and to do His own good pleasure. Understand how God works today. He could come down with angels and He could have broadcasting systems in the clouds, and you know voices, but God doesn't work -- He works through people like us. We're all He's got. Think about that. And to get the message of God's redemptive love is powerful, and you begin to recognize that if you understand how God works through your will and mine, then all you need to do is come to the software package, understand the truth, and then go do it. Do truth. Go do truth.

Let me show you a little illustration. Young man, what's your name? Matthew, I like that name already. Matthew would you come here? Matthew, that's a dollar bill, okay? I want you to take this dollar bill and do you see that man right there in the front row with the black coat on? I want you to give it to him. Would you do it right now? Please? Thank you Matthew. You're a good man. Watch, you all saw that very ordinary move. Keep it; it's yours. Give it to your wife she'll take it. (Congregation laughs) Now watch, don't miss what we're doing here. What you saw in the transport of that one-dollar bill from his hand to his hand -- question, whose will moved it? Mine? I didn't move a muscle as far as the transportation of that dollar bill is concerned. Oh, you say, well it's Matthew's. Well let's check with Matthew. Matthew, was your idea to get up in the middle of my talk and do that? [No] (Congregation laughs) But what he has is a little free will. He has a little free will, and when I asked him to take the dollar he really didn't have to do it. He could have thrown a fit right there. I imagine he's probably thrown a fit once or twice. But he, watch it, he chose to surrender at that moment of time his will to my will. And as the result, my will was literally fulfilled through his abiding will. Check the word abiding. Now that's how God works. No don't ask me why. I don't know, but I want to tell you it's exciting. And when it comes to praise, oh now.

In order to get into praise, real quick, you have to really think a lot. So many times we'll read and read, and you know, I've read this before. I've read this before, but learn to think. If I'm to praise God and I'm responsible to praise God, then the first question I have to ask; what is praise? Interesting. The word praise is meaningless. It's like thank you. Thank you is meaningless until you put a 'for' or a 'with'. You notice in the Scripture every time you find the word praise it's always attached. It's attached -- God for His excellent greatness, for this, on this, with that, dance here. All of it's all tied together with attachments. That's the first thing you need to know about praise. It's always attached. You just can't say praise the Lord. It's absolutely meaningless to say, oh praise the Lord, praise the Lord. The Lord says, what for? He wants to know why, and once you put the why to it then you begin to find out praise becomes very important. It makes you think. It makes you really enjoy the fullness of what He has for you. So when we look at it it's more than just a word. If a woman got up in the morning and said to her husband, oh I want to praise you today husband. Praise you, praise you, praise you. Let's not a bad way to start. Right men? But by the time you got to the breakfast table and if she said it one more time, honey I want to praise you, one more time, if he's a normal guy he's going to ask a question. And the question is this: What for? Now the moment you find the what for, then he can respond to the what for. And my friend it's the same way with praise to God, or to your family, or to your friends.

This is exciting stuff. What it does it causes a reaction in the person that you are sincerely thanking or praising, and it causes some of the most beautiful behavior you've ever seen in your life. But you've got to do it before you'll know this. You girls, you know, I can't promise a whole thing like this, but you go home put your arms around your husband's neck and look him in the eye. Girls, you've got to learn how to talk to men. Don't look at the ceiling. Look him right in the eye and say, hey honey, I don't know if I've ever said this but I just want to thank you, I want to praise you for the way you take care of us. I love you for it darling. Just like that. Now it's a simple little gesture, right? But let me tell you girls, listen carefully, talk to in old guy, no man on earth can resist that power. That is power. And he doesn't know how to handle it. (Congregation laughs) That's pretty good honey. I appreciate it. Hey here's a little 20. Pow! I can't guarantee the 20. But you're catching the idea. It's when you do truth then the response is what brings the joy. See? That's how it works. And so when we think about this idea of praise the Lord, praise the Lord with everything that hath breath, that's me, praise the Lord.

Now why does God command us to praise the Lord? Do you ever think about thoughts like this? I'm a little weird here, but forgive me. I thought, does God need our praise? You answer. Does God need our praise? No He doesn't. Did He get along before you got here? Yeah. Will He get along after? Yeah, yeah. Well then you say, that's a good question. What would you think of me if I was the creator and I just created you? And I said, all right folks, the first command -- praise me. You'd say, well what on earth is that all about? Does God have a sagging ego? No, no, no. Then why does He command us to praise Him? My friend, listen to this beautiful truth. God made us in such a way that He knows that whatever we in our heart choose to worship and praise, we have the tendency to become like. Did you get that? That's worth 25 bucks, and I gave it to you free. (Congregation laughs) A long time to figure that out, but boy the moment you see it, you recognize God doesn't command us to praise Him for His ego, it's for you. Whatever we learn to worship with all of our heart we want and desire to be like. Amen? When I get to thinking about it, it's great. And so when you realize that this power that God has given us, a choice by the way.

Now you don't have to praise the Lord, and you can still go to heaven. Did you get that? You can be a grump for God. (Congregation chuckles) I've seen some Christians they know all the right words, but they haven't got the experience. [Monotone voice] I want to tell you about the joy of my salvation. (Congregation laughs) The words were right but that's as far as it goes. The joy of the Lord is our what? (Congregation says strength) Yes, and the joy comes as a direct act of your simple childlike obedience, to do what you know God would have you to do. And if you mess up, and we do, admit it as quick as you can. Say, honey, that last thing I said to you was sharp and critical, and it was my fault. Will you forgive me? I get emotional just thinking about it. And all of a sudden we all forgive and we blend back together, and we are stronger than we were before. So why does God command us to praise Him? Well it's for our own good. If we can learn to put our values in the right place, turn off that stupid television, and get our face in the Book. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee. Pretty soon you begin to enjoy the Word. Did you ever get lost in the Word and go an hour and say, oh it's been an hour? That's getting into it. So again you begin to find out. It's a choice we make it every day.

So again, what about problems? Do you think they might have some issue here? Now listen to me here. The problem with problems is not the problem. Let me tell you why. We all have them. Come on. Be honest. Now they might be small they might be big, but I mean we all have problems. In fact, Jesus said, in John 16 to His disciples, in John 16:33 He said, In this world you will have trials and tribulation. Have you got that? Okay, that's a promise from Jesus. I've never found that in a promise box from my Christian bookstore. I've never found that promise in there, but that's a promise that there are going to be trials. Now you say, oh, that's not fair. That's not right. Now don't do that, don't do that. The trials are used of God for good things. All things work together for? (Congregation answers good) To them that love God. You've got to have the right perspective here.

Let me give you another one. James 1:2 says this, Brethren, that includes sisteren, count it all joy when you fall into trouble. Isn't it's a different approach? He says count it all joy. Whoopee, I've got a flat tire! (Ken chuckles and congregation laughs) You say, Ken, that's idiotic. No, no. Think. You say, Ken, why would he say count it joy? Read the next verses. Knowing this, that it's the testing or the trial of your faith that worketh, what? Endurance, patience. Do you know how to strengthen your arm physically? Take a dumbbell, 10 pounds, do 25 pumps. 25 pumps and lay it down. Two weeks later pick up 20 pounds. Pump, pump, pump and you do that for three months and pretty soon you got muscles. Somebody says, which way to the beach? You go, hey baby, it's that a way. (Congregation laughs) And that's how a muscle, that's how our body is strengthened. Our spiritual life is strengthened exactly the same way, through testing. I wish God would say -- this is a test -- but He doesn't do it that way. They are always kind of surprise events, you know. And when you understand that, that's half of the problem. Because when you can start praising God for problems then you know you're moving up the ladder. You're on the spiritual end. So again, it's a choice. Anyway, move through it, you've got to go. Understand the plan.

Turn real quick over to the book of Hebrews. We sang about it this morning. I don't know if you picked up. Hebrews 13:15 says this, Therefore let us continually offer up the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of the lips. The Bible says you cannot offer up the sacrifice of praise without moving your lips. Now what does that mean? Because we have as human beings, I'm talking now from man's point of view, sometimes we have little things we talk to our self about. The wife who came to her husband and said, oh honey, please tell me that you love me. Tell me that you love me. And the guy says, all right, all right I told you 20 years ago and it's still on. You know, I mean, some guys think like that. You know? I said it once and that's enough. No, no, no. And when you come to this idea of the sacrifice of praise the Bible says it's to be done continually, and it can only be done when you're moving your lips sharing it with God or the ones you love, or even the ones you don't love. So you understand how this goes?

Now let me close with the sacrifice of praise. Sacrifice of praise. What is sacrificial about praising God? Well in order to praise God in the midst of my problem I've really got to be thinking, because my natural tendency, believe this or not, is not to praise the Lord. Are you with me now? When you're driving along the freeway at 65 miles or 70 miles an hour, and some idiot comes out of the 3rd lane and shoots right in front of you, can you handle that? I do, sometimes it's not well. (Congregation laughs) But I'm learning. I pray that God will save them because if they keep driving like that they're going to be in the hereafter quick. So you begin to recognize this whole idea of praise, wrapping it in, as you've got to understand that there is a sacrifice. Now what is a sacrifice of praise? Think about sacrifice. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice unless it's valuable to you. We moved from Fresno to Palm Springs and we had 20 years of stuff. You know how the stuff piles up. And I said honey, quick, quick call the Salvation Army. Hey, get your truck over here this afternoon. You've got it all. They came over and cleaned out the whole garage. Oh, that was a sacrifice on your part. No, that was a praise. (Congregation laughs) Now in order for a sacrifice to be a sacrifice it has to have an attached value. What's valuable to you? What do you have to give up in order to honestly say, Lord, I want to praise You at this moment even though I don't feel like it? Have you ever have the problem?

You know, I made a discovery about feelings. If I follow my feelings I always go the wrong way, but my feelings cause my behavior. But have you ever known and experienced a truth that if you behave like you want to and the feelings will follow your behavior? Even when you don't feel like it. Just start doing which you know you ought to do and in the process of doing it then you begin to see the bennies. Bennies from heaven I call it. And the Lord just pumps them in. And so when you come to this idea of the sacrifice of praise, you say, well Ken, what does it mean? To me this is what it means. The first thing I had to learn as I grew up in my Christian life was to give up my rights to know why. My brother was murdered in his own home, he and his wife together. A beautiful brother he loved the Lord, principal 20 years in the education field. My sister-in-law was a first chair flutist in the Long Beach Symphony. Both of them snuffed out and to this day we have no idea why. Now I don't know what that does to you, but that really grabs my soul. I say, God, why don't you pick on the ding-a-lings? Don't pick on the winners. And I just argued in my soul. And do you know what happened to me? I found out I wasn't spontaneously sharing Christ with others. I found out I turned into a grump for God, and I began to think about me and me, and what I missed. And you can be a Christian and do that, but you're on the bench -- spiritually, you're on the bench. When you give up your right to know why. I challenge you, in the name of Jesus, do your best shot. When it's over, chapter is gone, new chapter, and begin to walk in the light as He is in the light. Then you can rejoice even in tribulation. Because pretty soon we'll know the answer. At my brother's funeral, or we call it his celebration, over 500 commitments to Christ. Out of the pile come beautiful things. He was...all the kids knew him and they all came.

Anyway, but you begin to recognize that so give up your rights to control. Do you have any problem there? Some of you are very docile and you're just very sweet. Whatever you say I'll do it, but I'm not that way. I had a problem with control. I had 360 on my staff at Hume Lake Christian Camp, and we had to have it go. We had 1000 kids moving in, 1000 out. You've got to be on the spot. Don't be late. And then God dealt with me. I gave up my right to control. Not that I wasn't in charge, not that I wasn't responsible, but I just handled it a completely different way. It's just amazing what God can do if you just get your act together, you know? So give up your right to control. Give up your right to complain and groan. Oh my lumbago's got me this morning George, and all you can talk about his what's wrong with you. My mom taught me some great lessons like that. I'd say, well how did you do last night mom? She died at 92 and she had to this arthritis stuff. She said, well honey, I woke up at three o'clock this morning and I couldn't sleep so I got up and read the Bible. Let me share with you what I found from God's word. Did you see how she did that? She admitted she had problems; bounced right off of that baby and got into a positive side of what God had taught her from the word of God. That's good stuff. So, again, remember it's a choice. Will you remember that?

Let me give you another. I'm going to close. We've got to go. Time goes whenever we're having fun. In 1935 a song was written. You kids, you yuppies, you won't understand this. But there's a song I want to close with it, and I'll be through. And you know it. You guys who are over 45 you'll know it. I'll prove it to you here. I'm going to give you the first few words, you fill in. Grab your coat and get your...(Congregation says hat) Leave your worries, where? And then the song says this, secular song says, just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street. Now think of the sunny side of the street as praise. Think of the shady side, he said I used to walk in the shade with my blues on. Think of the shady side of the street as the me, me, me, me, ingrown eyeballs, pity me, me, me. And I'm on the highway to heaven now. If you've trusted Christ as your Savior you're on the highway, but you have a choice as to whether you walk in the shade or walk in the sunshine. It's up to you. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, when? Now, and the moment you realize it's such a refreshing thing. He said I'm a rover who has crossed over. I don't want any more pity parties. I want to shine for Jesus Christ.

Psalms 119:164 the psalmist says seven times a day I will praise my God. Let me challenge you as we close. Where have you been the last 30 days of your life? Do your own evaluation. Have you been most of the time, the last 30 days of your life, on the sunshine, a few dips, back up. Knocked down but not knocked out. You come right back, or have you been over here most of the time? One Sunday I come over here (sunny side) then right back (shady side). Now you have to evaluate, examine yourself, and if you like what you see, praise God. Just keep on moving, but if you're not and you're stuck, here's the answer. You learn to move your lips at least seven times a day, and thank God for the good things. Go back in your life to people who influenced you, who put up with you, maybe a parent, maybe an aunt, maybe a schoolteacher. Just begin to let your mind go back and just begin to...and pretty soon a chorus of thanksgiving comes up in your soul and you say, wow, I didn't get here by myself. A lot of people influenced my life, and you begin to realize, boy, that's the way to really be on top of the circumstances of life. So the psalmist says seven times a day. Would you take the challenge from old Papa Ken? For the next seven days of your life try at least seven times a day to move your lips. You've got to move them. 1, 2, 3 say with me, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Now see you moved the lips. Now you say it out loud and share it with God, and with the ones you love -- sincere words of thanks, the giving of thanks and see what happens. Dynamite stuff. People will want to be around you. They will. They'll call you and say, I don't know what I'm calling you for, but I just want to talk to you. Because there's a positive spirit of God using our praise to His honor and to His glory. Amen? Father, we thank you for the privilege of being together this morning. We just pray that by Your spirit You'll indelibly impress us with a reality of the practical side of praise. And Father, as we do truth, as we understand it and then just do simply, honestly sharing verbally with those that we love, the ones that we come in contact with, Father, just make us a blessing. And Lord if there is someone within the sound of my voice, they've never even got into Your family yet, help them to realize that it's all been done. Jesus did it all. All they need to do is respond to Your offer and invite Christ to come into their life, even right now sitting in this room, and bring me into an eternal relationship with You the perfect heavenly Father. Help them Father.

As I close, let me just ask you this question. I'm talking to Christians now. Christians only, here we go. If you say Ken I looked at myself that thirty-day shot which side of the road, too much time wrong side. I admit it to myself. That's number one. Two, confess it. Say Lord, You're right. I've been on the wrong side of my highway to heaven. I've been in the gloom. I've been under. Too much me, and I'm just going to make a deal with You Lord. I'm going to promise You for the next seven days, as You give me wisdom and strength, I want to move, I want to be a rover, I want to cross over to the sunny side of praise. And I want to start by taking the challenge from the psalmist in Psalms 119:164 and at least seven times a day from now to next Sunday move my lips and say things that will not only please You and honor You, but Lord for my family and for my friends. Father, teach me to praise You in a very positive way that You might receive the glory and that people might be drawn to Yourself. Lord you bless me that I might be a blessing to others, and that's what I want. Heads bowed. How many of you say, Ken, I'll go on record right here? Between me and the Lord. Lift up your hands and by doing that you're saying, hey, the next seven days, just seven days, I'm going to try it out. At least, if not more, seven times a day I'm going to offer with my lips moving sincere acts of thanksgiving to the ones I come in contact with. How many of you will take the challenge? Slip up your hand. God bless you. Watch out. This is where revival comes from.

Father, again, we just thank You for the many that are here right now willing to take You at the challenge of the sunny side of praise. Help us to be intelligent praisers that You might receive the glory, and that we by our lifestyles draw others into the family that they might know the joy we have found in being free to worship You in spirit and in truth. So the Lord just bless us now and we'll thank you for it in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, amen, which is an old-fashioned word for yes. (Congregation applauds)