Black 2 The Future C.H.O.S.E.N.YOUTH REVIVAL Day 2

26:24 We thank and praise God for the leadership of our very own youth and collegiate pastor, Pastor David Malcolm Magruder. And thank and praise God for Chosen Ministry as you all have continued to stay engaged during this COVID season. I've had the opportunity to listen to you all's conscious conversations with Minister Grant. And I'm so honored and privileged to offer, hopefully, a word that will continue to give you strength, hopefully give you hope and give you inspiration as we continue to share at this time. Shall we ask God's blessing before we offer the word on today? God, we bless you. We thank you. We magnify you. We thank you for the young men and young women who you have called, who you have given power and strength and insight and understanding to. We thank you for calling them for such a time as this. And now we pray, O God, that your spirit be made manifest through the use of technology. I ask that you crown my head from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet.

27:19 Give me wisdom, insight, clarity and understanding so that your people may be helped, so that your people may be healed. And so that your people may be given fresh understanding of that which you would have them to know so that we can continue to be all that you've called us to be for such a time as this. In the mighty matchless name of Jesus, we do pray and ask it all. Amen. Man, I could not wait to become a part of this wonderful experience, particularly when I heard what the theme for the month. We knew what the theme for the month was in terms of future. But then when Pastor Magruder made me aware of the fact that the theme would be black to the future. So, you know, I cannot wait to share with you that which hopefully God has given us so that we can offer it on to you today. So I want to look at, of course, our thematic text, which is Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11. But I want to look at Jeremiah chapter 29, verses 8 through 11 on today. So it says, for thus, verse 8, for thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you and do not listen to the dreams that they dream.

28:24 For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name. I did not send them, says the Lord. For thus says the Lord, only when Babylon's 70 years are completed will I visit you and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. Verse 11, for surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans for your welfare and not for harm to give you a future and a hope. And keeping with our theme Black for the Future, Black for the Future, Black to the Future, I want to deal with the thought of looking back to launch forward. Looking back to launch forward. On June 25th through 28th of 2020, an ecological phenomena took place that many possibly did not recognize. I could not forget that as I was leaving the church on June 26th that Friday, I looked in the sky and there was a unique coloration to the sky, unique overcast, a unique haze to the sky. And so I went home and of course, Google is our friend. And I began to Google what possibly was taking place in our world. And of course, what did I find out at that time?

29:46 Well, I found out that that weekend, a what they are calling now a Godzilla-sized dust cloud had traveled from the Sahara Desert in Africa all the way to the United States of America, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, totaling 5,000 miles across the Gulf of Mexico, across the Caribbean, and then hovering over the southeastern part of the United States. And what was interesting, of course, during that weekend, we began to see what a spike in COVID cases and to begin to think about how awesome, how amazing is God in that dust could literally travel all the way from the continent of our ancestors, the continent of those who, again, are the architects of math, science and civilization, traveling all the way from Africa and then hovering over the United States of America. And while some would say, of course, it is a reflection of what is going on in our world as it pertains to the ecological problems that we continue to face, the ozone layer and other issues as it pertains to us and our stewardship or lack thereof of the earth.

30:57 But while I begin to think about this dust cloud, I could not help but to think about the leader of the United Negro Improvement Association, Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who at the age of 11 used to play games with his peers, and the game that he used to play with his peers was he would give them the dictionary and he would tell them, find a word in the dictionary that I don't know. The architect of the Black Star Line, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, whose birthday was just August 17th of 1887. He would have been 133 years old, of course, if he had lived. I could not help but think about the letter that he wrote February 10th, 1925, from an Atlanta jail cell. As I thought about this unique and powerful experience that was taking place in our world where a dust cloud had traveled from Africa to America. And there's a documentary, if you ever get a chance, young folk, to look at it on YouTube.

31:54 It's called Look For Me in the Whirlwind, and it gives some more historical perspective as it pertains to Garvey. But I want to just offer this as Garvey shared this from that jail cell, February 10th, 1925. And this is what Marcus Garvey said, and this is what I began to think about as I thought about the fact that this dust cloud, which was, again, one of the largest that had ever been seen in 20 years. He said, look for me in the whirlwind of the storm. Look for me all around you, for with God's grace, I shall come and bring with me countless millions of black slaves who have died in America and the West Indies and millions in Africa to aid you in the fight for liberty, freedom and justice. And many of us know that what else was going on June 25th through the 28th, there were still what? Protests going on in the streets. There was still what? A demand for freedom and justice and liberty. There was still what?

32:49 A demand for charges being brought against officers in the slaying and murder of Breonna Taylor. And Garvey offering these powerful, significant words and saying, look for me in the whirlwind. And the more I begin to think about, yes, it could be a cause of what's going on with ecology. Yes, it could be a cause of how we have not been the best stewards over the earth. But could it possibly be Garvey and some of the ancestors, what, reminding us of their presence? You know, the Bible says we are surrounded by such, what, a great cloud of witnesses. Could it be Akhenaten? Could it be MOTEP? Could it be Queen Nzinga? Could it be our ancestors reminding us that while we may get tired and while we may be frustrated and while we're on the front lines demanding for justice, that they are reminding us that they are watching us, that they are reminding us that they are here giving us strength? Could it be that they were reminding us that we were not alone and we were not forgotten?

33:48 and the value of the dust cloud. Not only could it be a reminder of our ancestors reminding us of their presence, the other significance of it as it pertains to what didn't happen in the world is that I found out with some further research that the dust cloud, because of its massive size, it ended up cooling the temperatures in the sea. As a result, it reduced the energy that would power hurricanes. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that off the chain? that the dust cloud, which possibly caused some breathing problems for some, the dust cloud, which possibly made it hard for others to see their way, the dust cloud, which created a haze over the sun while at the same time was serving another purpose in stopping what hurricanes from forming that would ultimately be what destructive to the planet, destructive to community and destructive to what people being in community in a way that would be valuable and significant for them continuing to realize their God invested potential and the dust cloud hovered over the southeastern part of the United States. And as Garvey shared from that jail cell that look for me. And now we see in the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah is writing what to those who are in exile, those who find themselves in a land, a strange land, those who find themselves living in and living under conditions of oppression. And thus, here is a word like that dust cow.

35:17 Here is a word that Jeremiah begins to offer to those who find themselves in captivity. Those who are the people of God, those who are the children of God, those who are valuable to God, but yet have found themselves as a result of their disobedience, as a result of them not appreciating and valuing God the way in which they should. They find themselves in captivity, but yet Jeremiah being God's agent, yet Jeremiah being God's serving, yet Jeremiah being God's mouthpiece offers a word of encouragement to those who are in exile. Jeremiah wants to remind them that even though you may find yourself in a strange land, even though you may find yourself oppressed, even though you may find yourself locked away from culture and community and family, there still is a word from the Lord. You are still significant. God has not forgotten. And there is something that the Lord wants you to be made aware of that can continue to give you the strength, that can continue to give you the hope, and that can continue to give you the belief that God is not through yet and the best is still yet to come. And Jeremiah provides, I think, for us some valid, some critical, some crucial, and some powerful words as we think about this notion of going black to the future, but as we also think about this notion of looking back at what has happen looking back at who we really are in order that we can launch forward. Now, you already know y'all can't give a boy, your boy a theme like black to the future and don't think that we're not going to stamp our flag as it pertains to dealing with some of the cultural reality of who God made us as we were black before we were Christian, which is why we got on our Black Star Line shirt. What in salute to the United Negro Improvement Association and in salute to what the black star line that was created by Marcus Garvey and by 1919 of course having four million folk without Instagram without LinkedIn without Facebook without Twitter and without the web he had four million together so let's see what Jeremiah has to offer us on today that can ultimately be valid as we continue to think about looking back in order to launch forward so he says in verse 8 of our text which is so critical if we're going to not only look

37:26 back but if we're going to launch forward look at what the prophet says in verse 8 he says for thus says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you and do not listen to the dreams that they dream can I suggest to y'all real quick could I drop this phone you real quick that if we're going to look back and launch forward we got to be first be willing to what to reject the lie or the reject to reject the lies you do remember We've been talking about James Baldwin and Eddie Glaude, the book that Eddie Glaude wrote about James Baldwin. Again, again, well, in the first chapter of that book, what does he deal with Baldwin saying? Well, we got to deal with the lie. We got to deal with the lie of America, what? Posturing itself as a moral nation and posturing itself as an innocent nation. So until we deal with the lie, we can't reconcile until we deal with the truth. But when I'm talking about rejecting of the lie or rejecting of the lies, One of the lies that we got to be willing to reject is we got to be willing to reject the lies about the identity of divinity, about what the identity of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, as well as the disciples.

38:31 And I know some say, preacher, why do you have to always drop that preacher? Why do you always have to bring that to bear? Well, as Dr. Ben would say, if religion is a deification of culture, right, if that which we in terms of what we look at in terms of our divinity, it's a reflection of culture. Well, what is culture? Culture is about what? Name and identity. But what are also some of the elements of culture? Some of the elements of culture are what? Music, hair, clothes, vocabulary, and of course, food, right? That's what makes us a culture and that's what makes cultures what? Unique. Why is it so valuable? Daniel chapter 1. For some who don't believe me, young men get captured. Now, you know these young men as what? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But when you read chapter 1, this is a part of the captivity that starts early. These young brothers, what, get brought into the king's court and there is a way in which they want to, what, enculturate them into, what, a Babylonian understanding so that they will make, what, good servants to the king's agenda, which would be an agenda that is not the agenda of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So they change their names.

39:36 But it says in chapter one, first thing they do is they say that they will be, what, taught the literature and the language of the Babylonians. Then they will eat what the food and wine from the king's table and then they will go to school for three years. Right. That's the agenda. What to change their mind to what disconnect them from where they come from. Disconnect them from their heritage. Disconnect them from their culture. Disconnect them from their religious identity. So they take what Hananiah and change his name to Shadrach. They take Mishael and change his name to Meshach. And then they take Azariah and change his name to Abednego. So the name being changed now disconnects you from your religious and spiritual heritage. And what we must be willing to do is what deal with the lies that pertains to the identity of divinity. As you all know that we always and consistently and continually talk about in this ministry that not only was Jesus kissed by nature's son, But Jesus, his mother and his father were kissed by nature's son.

40:37 That's why Muhammad Ali asked that question as a nine year old. Why? Because black children being so y'all so brilliant at such a young age. He asked his mother as he saw a picture of some angels, he said, Mom, there ain't no black angels. Now, at nine years old, Ali was always he was already asking the question. Why? Because I don't see myself reflected in divinity. So that's the big deal over the signs and the symbols and over the Confederate statues coming down. Why? Because they are symbols to evil. They are symbols to terrorism. And within our churches and within some of our Bibles, we have what? Offered images that were just archaeologically and geographically, let alone spiritually inauthentic. So if we're going to look forward, we got to be willing to ask questions. We got to be willing to what? Reject the lie as it pertains to the identity of divinity. we also have to be willing to what?

41:30 Deal with the lies that pertains to what? Our divine value. Don't let anybody shame you. Don't let anybody make you feel less than because, and again, we still struggle with identity issues. I know it. We still struggle with self-esteem issues. We still struggle with the way our hair looks and the way our lips look and the way our hips look. We still struggle with that. Don't let anybody shame you. There are so many folks that, again, love our culture, love to exploit our culture, love to highlight our culture, but yet don't want to go through the experiences that we've gone through. Yet don't want to go through the pain that we've had to endure. Yet don't want to go through the shame that we've had to endure. But you should be thankful unto God that God made you fearful and wonderful, that you're the head and not to tell you above and not beneath. You are beautiful and allow me to tell you this, just because you love your blackness, that does not mean you don't value your Asian colleagues or your Latino and Latin ex-colleagues or your Chinese or Japanese friends.

42:29 I'm never against multiculturalism. I'm just saying there is nothing wrong with loving your culture. There's nothing wrong with loving your hair. There's nothing wrong with loving who God made you. There's nothing wrong with you loving the communities and the culture from which you come from. So I'm never talking about denouncing your other friends who are a part of what we live. You all live in a multicultural world. We're more multicultural now in some regard than we've ever been. So it's never about denouncing your other friends who may be from other cultures and nationalities. But when you have love for self, it allows you to appreciate and what? Appreciate other folks' culture even better when you what? Love who you are. But not only must we engage in this rejection of that divine identity, which is not true. Not only must we engage in this rejection of that which doesn't give us divine value, we must engage in the rejection of that there is only one way to be black. There are so many who say, well, if you say this and do this and don't do that, you're not what, what's the conversation going on right now about the new vice presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, folks ain't black enough. And Barack did say when he was going to get elected, when they were talking about he wasn't black enough, well, he said, I'm black enough not to get a cab in New York. So when they continue to try to come for our dear sister, we have to stand up and brothers, we got to make sure whether we attend a teenager, whether we young adult age, we got to make sure we say something about that. The sister is Indian and Jamaican. She hasn't denounced and denied her Jamaican roots and her Jamaican identity. Same place where Marcus Garvey came from. And she's the graduate of an HBCU. So I know it's some HU folks that's going in and going up and Howard University, which was established when? Uh-oh, 1867, the same year of the what? Reconstruction acts. So we got to also be willing to reject the lie in that, that there is only one way to be black. We are of different shades. We are of different complexions and we've had different experiences. There is no one particular way to be black. We have unique ways of expressing ourselves, unique ways of dressing. We say that sometimes like folk from Texas talk differently

44:37 than folk from Ohio. We still black folk from Cali talk differently than folk who black folk from Iowa. But again, the value is we all made in God's image. We all are valuable and significant to God. And what the prophet says to the people in exile as a word of encouragement, as a word of hope, as a word of strength, as a word of life, he said, reject the lie from their prophets. Don't dream their dreams. Don't listen to their prophets and or their religious leaders. Why? Because you are connected to and you are part of a different history, a different heritage, a different culture and different possibilities. And the prophet reminds us on the day, if we going to what? Look forward, we gotta be willing to reject it. And I know we live in a cancel culture. We quick to cancel folk in a heartbeat. Some things possibly need to be canceled. Those things that have made you feel as though God doesn't love you.

45:28 Those things that made you feel as though you're not valuable. Those things that have made you feel as though you are worth less. Those things, and that sometimes ain't got nothing to do with people outside our families. That sometimes got something to do with the way in which people in our own families made us feel a particular kind of way. And the prophet reminds us on today that what we got to reject the lie. But not only that, let me keep pushing. Not only that, he says in verse nine, verse 10. But thus says the Lord, only when Babylon's 70 years are completed, will I visit you and I will fulfill my promise to you and bring you back to this place. So if we're going to look back and launch forward, we also secondly what have to remember what it may not happen overnight but help restoration and transformation is on the way I know some of you all as you all are engaging in distance learning and some of you all have possibly not had a chance to go on your usual vacations or possibly leave the house or just do some of the things in terms of just kick it with your crew kick it with your girls holler at the fellas you all possibly have not had the opportunity to do the things that continue to give you life the things that continue to make you laugh, the things that continue to make you hopeful. The word of God for you today is what, as he says to the people in exile, although it may not look like it, help is on the way. They're in captivity. Some of us feel as though we're in the house. Some of us feel as though we've been in captivity a little bit, but the word of the Lord is what? Help is on the way.

46:55 Transformation and restoration and healing is on the way. Somebody said, well, preacher, That language may be something I'm not equated with I don't necessarily understand what you were talking about You know when you may be feeling as though things won't get better You know you may be feeling as though I done done everything to get ready for college I done got myself together and I possibly may not be able to go this semester on campus And I was looking forward to experiencing some things I was looking forward to getting out of the house I was looking forward to now becoming an adult And there's some of you all who are going into high school You ready to go in and see your friends that you possibly hadn't seen over the summer and you all are ready to get together. And now that has been put on delay based on something. Guess what? That was out of your control. But I'm here to remind you and give you fresh inspiration with some with some important information that help and transformation is on the way. What you just got to continue to do is work the work that God has put in your hands.

47:50 Continue to be steadfast. Continue to what? Pray. Continue to read your word. And again, y'all kick it on, y'all kick it on social media and y'all kick it on these digital platforms better than my generation anyway. Because some of you all again on live every night, y'all doing zooms. So you're still finding a way what to connect with community. But you also want to make sure that even in your virtual communities, even in your virtual space, you want to get people with good energy. You want to get people with positive energy. You want to get people that continue to feed your imagination. You want to get people that continue to affirm the fact that you actually have a relationship with the Lord. affirm the fact that you pray affirm the fact that you read the bible affirm the fact that you got different interests and when you get around other people that help affirm that that continues to what make you believe that you know what god this is different this is a different time this is a different space but god i believe it won't always be like this i believe you got me right now so i'm going to continue to be steadfast and unmovable i'm going to continue to try to what always abound in the work of the Lord. And what Jeremiah reminds those who find themselves in exile, be not dismayed, transformation, liberation, and newness is on the way. And for some of us, if you can just hold on to a little bit of that, that's why every day I tell you what the affirmations, we got to continue to what? Offer yourself affirmations. And what would I give my students? This ain't going to never get old. It ain't going to never expire, which is why I'm going to always keep dropping it as I talk to one of my students from Nashville today who has not forgot the affirmation and what would be those affirmations that they would have to say every day in my classroom I believe I'm built to succeed I believe I'm built to achieve I believe I'm built to succeed and then what they always would have to say is what I am great well somebody say why are you great I am great because I respect myself others in my community I am great because I have the power to accomplish my goals and dreams I am great because I'm willing to work hard to improve self and I am great why because I influence others in a positive way because what if your name never gets called what if your insta don't never get all them likes what if your picture don't never get all them shares what if your name is never seen on a marquee does that mean you not great I disagree

49:58 you great because you made an image of God you great because you influence others in a positive way you great because you've been willing to work hard all summer and even in the fall to improve yourself you great because other people feel better as a result of you letting your light so shine before others that when they see you, they don't just see you, they see the God in you. And Jeremiah tells the people who are in exile, what? Hold on just a little while longer because God is not through. So if we're going to not only look back but launch forward, we got to believe that what restoration and transformation and healing is on the way. And thus, then he moves to verse 11 with the subject text for you all choosing black to the future. So not only if we're going to look back and move forward, Not only must we be willing to what? Reject a lie. Not only must we believe that restoration and transformation is on the way. But then verse 11, for I know the plans I have for you.

50:54 Well, what kind of plans are those? The Lord saying what? I know the plans that I have for you. Plans what? Not to harm you, to provide you, to take care of you and to give you a future and a hope. So lastly, if we're going to look back in order so we can launch forward, we have to be what? Open to believe that the Lord has what? Our best interest in mind now and later. Let me say that one more time. If we're going to launch forward, we must be open to believe. That's why first you got to reject a lie, because if you still keep dealing with the lie and living the lie and ultimately making the lie the truth, You won't be open to believe that the Lord has your best interest at heart now and later, because I know it's rough now. I know it's been a challenge. I know some of you all are battling serious depression. I know some of you all are wrestling with so many things as a result of what this pandemic has done because you were dealing with things before the pandemic. But I'm just here to remind you that you got to be open, got to be open to believe based upon what he's saying.

51:54 For I know Jeremiah is not saying he knows Jeremiah is saying this is what the Lord is speaking through him for I know the plans I have for you. So when we think about this notion of plans what does that mean it's intentional and not by accident which means what you are not an afterthought to God. And I know sometimes we have felt lonely sometimes we have felt isolated sometimes we thought we could trust folk and they let us down. Sometimes the friends that we now go we going back to school in the fall some friends we had when we left school we possibly don't have those same friends because something maybe happened. They're changing. So some of us possibly are beginning to believe that what we are an afterthought. But I've come to remind you that, no, the Lord knows your pain. The Lord knows your plight. You can cast all your cares upon the Lord. Why? Because the Lord cares for you. The Lord is concerned for you. And you know when somebody got plans for you, that's a good thing. And I know I know young folk, right? Sometimes I don't want nobody controlling what I'm going to do, where I'm going to go, how I want to spend my money.

52:51 What's what kind of apps I got on my phone? I understand. Right. Because that means somebody trying to control. But every now and again, think about how the Lord, if you let the Lord have some control, what might that do for your imagination? If you let the Lord have some control, what might that do for those dreams you have? If you let the Lord have some control, because why you believe God, you got plans for me. God, you made me in your image. God, you love me. You you value me. You want me to be something. So consider the fact that he says, for I know the plans. Right. So there's some intentionality behind the work of the Lord. But he says plans for what? For your welfare and not for harm, which suggests what? Your total survival or your well-being. I just found out a few weeks ago that August is what? National Wellness Month. So I pray that you all are doing something, whether that's taking a walk for some people, what? Playing video games where other people don't appreciate that Sometimes that is what?

53:47 Helping your mind Or what? Listening to your music And sometimes you listen to your music at the table Which sometimes parents may say that's rude But you may be what? Trying to what? Get in your zone You may be trying to what? Continue to nurse and rehearse God's miracles to you Or God's favor to you But as a result of what National Wellness Month is Make sure that you're doing some things that are feeding your mind You know J. Cole offered some help to this generation I was watching an interview with J. Cole I mean, I was watching a piece of J. Cole doing a concert, and of course, J. Cole was talking about a generation that has dealt with so much pain, a generation that has dealt with so much trauma, and we can't afford to go to the psychiatrist. We possibly couldn't afford to get counseling, even though the Be Made Whole Counseling Center offers us free mental health care and new telehealth as well. But J. Cole developed what? A love and a desire for meditation. I had the Calm app on my phone a couple years ago, but you see who endorsing the Calm app now, right?

54:43 LBJ, right? He's endorsing the Calm app. Why? Because the Calm app gives you the opportunity to what? Sit, breathe, think, take some time, envision, sit back, relax. So I want to encourage you, if you don't have the Calm app, get the Calm app on your phone and see if the Calm app possibly doesn't help you. What? Remember that God has plans for you, not plans for calamity, not plans for destruction, but plans for a future and a hope. The word he says, I got plans for you for I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for future and a hope. He says in this future and a hope. What ultimately suggests, lastly, that the Lord has plans for what power and possibilities, power and possibility. You know what? One of the things that I find interesting during this pandemic, talking to different ages of folk, is how many people during the pandemic, again, struggling with loneliness, struggling with isolation, struggling with feelings of despair and hopelessness. That's one thing that's taking place during this critical time in which we live.

55:53 But the other thing that's happening, there are some people who are creating. There are some people who are collaborating. Some people who are starting businesses. Some people who are repurposing their businesses. I was a part of the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute virtual workshop a few weeks ago. This sister who I think is 17 years old. This sister didn't wrote books. She now writing another book. So for some people, the pandemic sometimes has maybe highlighted pain for other people. It's to help them realize new possibilities. They found new power that they did not know they had. They found a new reservoir of creativity. So they're starting online businesses. Some of y'all I know making masks. Some of y'all been selling hand sanitizers, all kinds of different things. What? That are allowing you to walk into a new future. Allowing you to what? Create, as Eddie Glau said, what we invent hope every day. Some of you all have continued to invent hope even during a pandemic, even during a time where there is despair, even during a time where other people are feeling hopeless some of you all are creating and i told them i told them last week the first thing my students get when they would come in my classroom is what the african-american inventors list because as soon as my students came to the classroom i wanted them to be reminded of the fact that guess what folk that look just like you are responsible for creating the air conditioner are responsible for creating the ironing board are responsible for creating the dustpan are responsible for creating the broom kareem abdul Jabbar wrote a wonderful book called What Color Is Your World? Well, who you think created the broom? Who you think created the dustpan? Who had to use the broom?

57:24 Who had to use the dustpan? Those who were doing, uh-oh, all of the work and guess what? You an inventor. You a creator. You an innovator. You an instigator for hope. You an instigator for love. You an instigator for power and possibility for Jeremiah reminds the people in exile and the word of the Lord for us today is for I know the plans that I have for you. Not plans for despair, not plans for destruction, not plans for calamity, but plans what? To give you a possible good welfare, to provide you with wellness and to offer you hope and to offer you a future. And that which God offers and that which God intentions for our good, that the world didn't give and the world cannot take away. So we continue to what? Keep our heads held high. We continue to, I know, sit at that computer daily as it's going to be a different experience. But know as you sit at that computer, God is working in you.

58:18 Know that God wants the best for you. Know that the Lord is not finished with you. And know that the Lord has intention, good plans, for your welfare, for your benefit. And if you do well, you know it just ain't about us. Which is why we were reminded in Matthew, you were the light of the world. Right, a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do individuals take a light and put it under a bushel. But they put it on his lampstand. Why? So that it gives light to everybody in the house in the same way. Let your light so shine before others that when they see your good work, they may glorify the God who made you, which is in heaven. So realize as you get prepared to deal with going back to school, realize as you prepare to navigate what the fall has that we are not aware of. realize that during this crazy election season, realize during this time of new justice being on earth, that God has planned for you to prosper. God has planned for you to experience new power.

59:20 God has planned for you to experience new possibilities. Why? Because you were willing to reject the lie. Why? Because you believe that hope and transformation was on the way because new mercies continue to be born every day. But then lastly, you believe that God got my best intentions in mind. Even if people don't, God has your best intentions in mind. Shall we pray? God, we thank you and we bless you that you love us, that you call us by our name, that you have plans to prosper us. You have plans to give us a future. You have plans to give us hope and you have plans to move us from the right now into the not yet in a way that will bless you, that will honor you, and that will allow others to see you in us. I pray now, O God, that you bless all of those who are viewing. I pray right now, O God, that the power of your spirit be made manifest in every young person and every young adult that hears this word. I pray that they find fresh comfort than knowing that you have plans to give them a hope and a future. A future not dismissed from who we are as those who've been kissed by nature's son, but a future where we're in that future, prospering, allowing our light to shine, and making the world a better place.