It Is Written

Lessons for All Time: The Talents

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Series Code: IIW

01:30 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:40 ♪[Theme music]♪
01:48 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
01:51 Thanks for joining me.
01:52 Think of someone you know who is talented,
01:56 or someone you know of.
01:59 You might think of Lionel Messi,
02:01 the Argentinian soccer or football player.
02:04 Tom Brady, greatest quarterback of all time.
02:06 Daniel Day Louis,
02:08 the actor who won three Best Actor Academy Awards.
02:11 Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Paul McCartney,
02:14 rugby player Brodie Retallick, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
02:17 Artists like Pablo Picasso.
02:20 Hmm.
02:20 Picasso.
02:21 Van Gogh, or Van Hook.
02:24 Monet, so on.
02:27 Now, I'm reaching for the easy and the obvious examples.
02:29 But there are talented people in all areas of life.
02:32 Talented teachers and sculptures,
02:34 and talented writers, and talented pastry chefs and cooks.
02:37 Talented gardeners, and so on.
02:41 And how'd they get that way?
02:42 Do you think Claude Monet just stumbled out of bed one day and
02:45 started painting water lilies?
02:47 Umm, no.
02:48 Mozart wasn't born writing symphonies.
02:52 How were these talented people able to do what they did?
02:56 You know the old joke?
02:57 How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
02:59 Practice, practice, practice.
03:02 Now, some sports people are born with a little more natural
03:05 inclination than others.
03:06 That's often true in any sphere.
03:09 But at the end of the day everybody's got 24 hours a day,
03:12 and the opportunity to improve opportunities and be the best
03:15 that they can be.
03:17 And Jesus spoke to this in a parable found in Matthew,
03:20 chapter 25.
03:22 It's the Parable of the Talents, and we're going to look at that
03:24 today in our ongoing series on the parables of Jesus,
03:28 “Lessons for All Time.”
03:30 Matthew, chapter 24,
03:32 speaks of the signs of Christ's coming.
03:35 Matthew 25 begins with the Parable of the Ten Virgins,
03:37 and the need to have the oil of the Holy Spirit,
03:40 so we can be prepared for eternity.
03:42 Now in other words,
03:43 Matthew 25 starts with Jesus saying that
03:45 God will give you everything you need to be ready for heaven.
03:51 The next parable, that's really interesting.
03:54 Remember, a parable is not an allegory.
03:56 Allegories are longer.
03:58 They typically have people or characters representing
04:00 different ideas.
04:02 Think about John Bunyan's “Pilgrims Progress,” where
04:04 Christian represents the sinner, the believer.
04:07 Evangelist shows Christian the path to the celestial city,
04:10 and so on.
04:11 Parables are shorter stories, and they convey moral or
04:14 spiritual lessons.
04:16 Jesus uses the story of a man sowing seed to teach an
04:19 important spiritual lesson.
04:21 Or the story of a man beaten and left for dead on the side of the
04:24 road, ignored by church leaders, but helped by a hated Samaritan.
04:29 These stories were evocative, and they stayed in the minds of
04:33 the people who heard them.
04:35 And so we have a parable in Matthew,
04:36 chapter 25, starting in verse 14:
04:40 “For the kingdom of heaven,”
04:41 that's the kingdom of divine grace on earth,
04:43 God's work of salvation on behalf of humanity,
04:46 “the kingdom of heaven is like a man
04:49 traveling to a far country,
04:51 who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.”
04:55 Now, who is the traveling man?
04:57 That's Jesus.
04:58 The far country He goes to?
04:59 That's heaven.
05:01 Jesus was speaking about Him leaving earth,
05:03 going to heaven, and commissioning His servants,
05:06 giving His servants responsibility.
05:09 Verse 15: “And to one he gave five talents,
05:15 to another two, and to another one,
05:18 to each according to his own ability;
05:22 and immediately he went on a journey.
05:26 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded
05:29 with them, and made another five talents.
05:32 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
05:37 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground,
05:42 and hid his lord's money.
05:44 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled
05:48 accounts with them.”
05:50 This parable deals with what our lives should look like
05:53 while we're waiting for Jesus to return.
05:56 It deals with our responsibility before God.
05:58 Or maybe we should say, it deals with the possibilities we have
06:02 as we look forward to the return of Jesus to the world.
06:06 So what's a talent?
06:07 A talent is a measure of weight.
06:09 The Greek word is talanton, which means a balance or a pair
06:12 of scales, and therefore something that is weighed.
06:15 Now, there are various definitions as to how much a
06:17 talent weighed.
06:19 Then it differs if you're talking about a talent of gold
06:22 or a talent of silver.
06:23 It seems as though a talent was a little more than 70 pounds.
06:27 Whatever it is, it's indicative that the master has entrusted to
06:30 his servants some considerable means,
06:33 and he wants them to use those means wisely.
06:37 Now, let's look at this a little bit together.
06:39 Think about these talents.
06:41 The word talent in the English today comes from that Greek word
06:44 talanton.
06:45 And what are the talents that God has given us?
06:48 And what talents do you have?
06:50 Now, there's a tendency, I think,
06:52 on the part of people to say, “I'm not a singer.
06:54 I can't speak in public.
06:55 I don't play an instrument.
06:57 I can't draw.
06:58 I'm not athletic.
06:59 Therefore, I'm not talented.” Ahh,
07:01 but that's not true.
07:02 Even if you cannot leap tall buildings in a single bound,
07:05 there is no question that God has given you talents,
07:08 and that you can return those talents to God one day with a
07:11 great return.
07:13 Which means that you can make a difference for the kingdom of
07:17 God.
07:18 A major difference.
07:19 And I'll tell you how in just a moment.
07:23 ♪[Music]♪
07:31 >>John: Finance is a big subject.
07:33 Everybody wants to have enough money.
07:36 How can you have God's blessing on your financial situation?
07:39 I'd like to give you today's free offer,
07:42 “More Than Enough.”
07:44 To receive “More Than Enough,”
07:45 simply call us, 800-253-3000.
07:49 You could write to the address on your screen,
07:50 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
07:55 That's 800-253-3000,
07:57 or iiwoffer.com.
08:01 >>John: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written.
08:04 The parable of the talents suggests something important to
08:07 us both, and that is, Jesus considers that we are talented.
08:12 We have talents.
08:13 In the parable, not everyone has the same amount of talents.
08:16 Some were given five, some two, others just one.
08:19 But everyone was given something.
08:21 And everyone was expected to use that for the master,
08:25 to increase it.
08:27 Now, that gives rise to a question: how do you use your
08:31 talents for the glory of God?
08:33 You know, honestly, I feel a little bit sorry for people who
08:36 are fantastically talented.
08:37 I'll tell you why.
08:38 You get someone who's a really good singer,
08:40 for example.
08:41 Then there's the temptation to go after worldly or secular
08:44 glory, which can be hazardous to your spiritual life.
08:47 When you're young and talented and you could become rich and
08:49 famous, that's a temptation and one that's fraught with
08:52 challenges.
08:53 Then there are people who are geniuses at business;
08:55 they make a lot of money.
08:57 Nothing wrong with having money; far from it.
08:59 But people who are wealthy have temptations and worries that
09:02 people who are not wealthy do not have.
09:06 Jesus makes it clear that everyone has talents given to
09:09 them by God, and that the primary purpose of those talents
09:13 is that they be used for God's glory and not our own.
09:18 And, for one thing, we are the property of God,
09:21 by creation and by redemption.
09:24 So we are God's.
09:25 Everything we have is given by God and belongs to God.
09:30 Everything that we have, everything that we are,
09:32 ought to be committed, firstly, to the glory of God.
09:35 The reason we're here on this earth is to serve God.
09:38 The real object of life is ministry.
09:42 So the capabilities that God has given to us,
09:44 first and foremost, are His.
09:48 So what's included in these talents that God has given to
09:50 His children?
09:51 Let's start with what we find in 1 Corinthians,
09:54 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, and we're going to begin in verse 8:
10:01 “To one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
10:04 to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
10:07 to another faith by the same Spirit,
10:09 to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10:12 to another the working of miracles,
10:14 to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits,
10:17 to another different kinds of tongues,
10:19 to another the interpretation of tongues.
10:22 But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
10:25 distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
10:30 Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit,
10:32 and this is really how the goods of heaven that the parable
10:36 speaks of are given to the followers of God.
10:38 The gifts of the Spirit are given to be used for the glory
10:41 of God: wisdom, healing, discernment,
10:43 miracles, tongues, knowledge, not for us,
10:47 but for God's glory.
10:48 Your spiritual gifts or opportunities are talents that
10:52 God has given.
10:55 Now, what other talents does God give?
10:57 Jesus talked about the person who was given five talents,
10:59 and then there's the one who was given just one talent.
11:01 Large or small, doesn't matter.
11:04 The question is, what can you do with what you have?
11:08 So let's start with what's most important.
11:11 God has given you the gift of salvation.
11:16 What are you doing with that?
11:18 Now, God wants us to grow in grace,
11:19 to mature as believers.
11:22 No one should be today where they were five years ago or even
11:26 one year ago, in terms of Christian growth.
11:29 There are victories to win, bad habits to break.
11:31 You've got a Christian character to develop.
11:34 And God has promised to do the work in you that you plain and
11:37 simply cannot do yourself.
11:39 Philippians 1, verse 6, what does the Bible say?
11:41 “Being confident of this very thing,
11:43 that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it
11:47 until the day of Jesus Christ.” Jude,
11:49 verse 24, tells us that Jesus is able to “keep you from falling,”
11:54 and Ephesians 4:13 says, “Till we all come to the unity of the
11:57 faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God,
12:00 to a perfect man,
12:01 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
12:05 People ready to meet Jesus when He returns
12:07 are described in Revelation 14, verse 12, this way:
12:11 It says, “Here is the patience of the saints;
12:13 here are those who keep the commandments of God and the
12:17 faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14 and verse 12.
12:20 As long as you have spiritual growing left to do,
12:23 there's a return on the talent God has given you that God is
12:28 waiting to receive.
12:30 The gift of salvation: definitely.
12:31 A talent to be used and developed for the glory of God.
12:36 Now, God has given everyone a mind.
12:39 What are you doing with yours?
12:41 Getting an education and increasing your abilities and
12:43 your usefulness for God honors God.
12:46 Laziness doesn't.
12:48 If you can do better at school, that gives you in most cases an
12:51 opportunity to do more for God.
12:53 Not everyone's called to get a doctorate,
12:55 but it's pretty obvious that learning and developing and
12:58 getting educated make it far more likely that you'll be able
13:01 to give God more than if you, say,
13:05 dropped out of school.
13:06 The sharper your intellect, the more you can do in God's
13:09 service.
13:10 Which leads me to this: the talent of your health.
13:15 Now, many people wouldn't think of one's health as a talent
13:19 given by God.
13:20 But it is.
13:22 It's a capability, an opportunity.
13:25 So if you're damaging your health,
13:28 what's that saying to God about the way you value that talent?
13:33 Here's what we know.
13:34 Smoking, drinking, illegal drugs,
13:36 sundry other things: very damaging.
13:38 You can shorten your life by making poor lifestyle choices.
13:43 You can extend your life by making wise lifestyle choices.
13:46 Now, sometimes there's not anything that you can do to
13:49 prevent a problematic health condition.
13:51 That's understood.
13:52 But there are tons of people who are eating themselves to death.
13:55 You have a fatal heart attack at 55 because you were careless
13:58 with your body?
13:59 You've robbed God of maybe 30 years of service.
14:03 That's not inconsequential.
14:04 We have a duty to keep ourselves in the best shape possible.
14:10 Now, this is 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 and verse 19.
14:13 It says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of
14:17 the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,
14:21 and you are not your own?
14:23 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your
14:27 body and in your spirit, which are God's.” Then 1 Corinthians
14:31 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink,
14:34 or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Notice that?
14:39 “All to the glory of God.” God isn't glorified when we make
14:43 choices that damage us, that kill us,
14:45 that weaken our bodies or our minds.
14:47 If there's a bad habit that's controlling you,
14:50 let God bring it under control and get it out of your life.
14:56 Our, talents are given to us by God.
14:58 They should be used first and foremost for God.
15:02 Now, I've got one that you probably haven't thought about
15:05 as a talent.
15:06 You have this talent, and it's really important.
15:10 And I'm going to tell you what it is in just a moment.
15:13 ♪[Music]♪
15:21 ♪[Theme music]♪
15:23 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4,
15:24 the Word of God says, “It is Written,
15:26 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
15:29 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
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16:45 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written.
16:47 We're looking at the Parable of the Talents found in
16:49 Matthew chapter 25.
16:51 Luke's version of this parable is found in Luke 19.
16:55 What we have, all we have, is given to us by God.
17:00 Therefore, we owe it all to God.
17:02 We should serve Him with everything we are and everything
17:05 that we have.
17:06 All our possessions, our wealth, our opportunities,
17:09 should be dedicated to God.
17:12 Obviously, money can do an enormous amount of good for God.
17:16 It's a talent.
17:18 Think about the money that many people waste.
17:20 Look, if you bought a coffee, one a day,
17:22 five days a week, that could easily be $20 a week,
17:26 therefore, $1,000 or more a year,
17:28 for something that isn't going to help you
17:30 and is gonna harm you.
17:32 That's what we call a waste.
17:35 A friend of mine told me, “My wife and I,” he said,
17:37 “we cut our satellite TV, got rid of it.
17:40 The money we were spending that, we're now saving and we're
17:42 giving to God's work.” That's an investment.
17:46 You might be making a car payment
17:47 that you don't need to make.
17:48 People will spend thousands of dollars,
17:50 tens of thousands of dollars, on a vehicle they'll admit to you
17:53 they don't need to have.
17:55 They might call it a toy or a hobby.
17:58 Imagine what God could do with some of that money that we
18:01 fritter away.
18:03 Every cent spent on alcohol is money that's not glorifying God,
18:08 but is glorifying, glorifying who,
18:12 do you suppose?
18:14 Now, this parable helps us to orient our lives.
18:17 The life of the believer in God is to be a life of service,
18:20 not a life that's all about self,
18:23 a life that's about what we can get out of this world for us.
18:28 I mentioned a moment ago there's a talent that you have that most
18:32 people wouldn't think of as fitting into this parable.
18:36 It's an important one.
18:38 And you have as much of it as anyone else does.
18:42 It's the talent of time.
18:46 Every person alive has the same amount of time in a day.
18:51 Twenty-four hours, 1,440 minutes,
18:54 86,400 seconds.
18:57 Imagine if God asked you to explain to Him what you're doing
19:01 with your time.
19:03 You can't get back lost time.
19:05 Once it's gone, it's gone.
19:08 Now, life isn't all about industry.
19:10 You'd better get some rest.
19:12 You'd better have a healthy balance in your life.
19:15 But if you'd listen to an audiobook while you're
19:17 commuting, you'd learn something.
19:18 If you read a book while you're on the bus or the train,
19:21 you'd be ahead.
19:22 Attend a class at the local community college or university;
19:24 you'll improve yourself.
19:26 Think of opportunities you might have to read the Bible.
19:28 If you're waiting for an appointment,
19:29 instead of grabbing your phone and playing a game or reading
19:33 the news, read the Bible.
19:36 You'd be way ahead.
19:37 Anyone who's got time to binge watch a TV series has time to
19:40 binge read the Bible.
19:43 Or they've got time to spend with their children.
19:45 Or they've got time to get exercise.
19:48 Imagine using your time wisely to the glory of God.
19:53 How different would life be if we altered it?
19:55 How different would the church be?
19:57 It says in Romans 12:11 that we should be “not slothful in
20:01 business," but 'fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.'"
20:05 Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do,
20:09 do it with your might." Good advice in the word of God.
20:13 Time is given to us to use wisely.
20:15 Successful people are not people who waste time.
20:19 Successful Christians, just the same.
20:23 Now, how does the parable resolve?
20:25 Let's get to the resolution of this in Matthew,
20:27 chapter 25, and we'll pick it up in verse 20.
20:32 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five
20:36 other talents, saying,
20:38 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents;
20:40 look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'"
20:43 His lord said to him, ‘Well done,
20:45 good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things,
20:50 I will make you ruler over many things.
20:52 Enter into the joy of your lord.'” God is looking to us to
20:56 give Him a return on His investment.
20:58 Heaven made history's greatest investment when Jesus died for
21:02 the world.
21:03 What does He want back?
21:04 He wants you.
21:06 It means He wants you to be connected to Him.
21:08 When you are, then your life is fruitful.
21:11 I want you to notice this.
21:12 God gives us responsibilities and opportunities
21:15 because He wants us, to have more.
21:18 He wants to bless us more.
21:20 You want to be the sort of person that God can bless and
21:24 bless and bless.
21:27 The same thing happened with the one who'd been given two
21:29 talents.
21:30 And then we read this in verse 24: “Then he who had received
21:34 the one talent came and said, ‘Lord,
21:36 I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown,
21:40 and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
21:43 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.
21:47 Look, there you have what is yours.' But his Lord answered
21:51 and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant,
21:55 you knew that I reap where I have not sown,
21:58 and gather where I have not scattered seed.
22:00 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers,
22:03 and at my coming I would have received back my own with
22:06 interest.
22:07 Therefore take the talent from him,
22:10 and give it to him who has ten talents.
22:12 For to everyone who has, more will be given,
22:16 and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have,
22:19 even what he has will be taken away.
22:22 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.
22:25 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
22:29 Now, this might seem harsh, but it isn't.
22:32 Remember, this is a parable; not every aspect of a parable has a
22:36 direct parallel or meaning.
22:38 The servant who got the one talent charges that the master
22:41 is a hard man.
22:43 And the master answers by saying that even if it were true,
22:46 which it isn't, he could have taken that talent and put it in
22:49 the bank and increased its value.
22:52 So why is that talent taken away?
22:54 Because that's how it is in life.
22:56 If you don't use it, you lose it.
22:58 Think of the people who could have learned another language
23:00 but didn't.
23:01 Later in life, it's almost always too late.
23:04 You could have learned a musical instrument;
23:05 later in life, you don't have the time.
23:07 Or as a child you learned, but then you let it go.
23:10 You didn't pick up the trumpet or the violin,
23:13 or you didn't go to the piano.
23:14 And later, it's gone.
23:16 And a key point here is that you shouldn't think that, because
23:19 you have little talent or talents,
23:21 that you cannot do much.
23:24 Oh, yes, you can.
23:25 Thrive where God has planted you.
23:27 If you're brilliant enough to run a Fortune 500 company,
23:30 great.
23:31 Do it to the glory of God.
23:33 If your life is more humble, it's no less meaningful.
23:37 God wants to use you where you are.
23:39 He wants to use you as you are.
23:41 And as He does, your sphere of influence will grow.
23:46 Think of Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss,
23:48 a medic in the military who became a national hero,
23:52 the subject of a major motion picture,
23:54 simply because he was faithful where God had him.
23:58 God didn't have him anywhere glamorous.
24:00 But where he was, he gave himself to God.
24:03 And his story is a story for the ages.
24:05 Just be faithful where you are.
24:08 Serve God.
24:09 Let God use you.
24:11 When He does, you'll be really blessed.
24:16 When we have the opportunity to serve God and we don't take it,
24:19 that's a loss for the kingdom of heaven.
24:21 And it's a loss for us.
24:23 There are a lot of people, even in the church,
24:26 who are just there making up the numbers.
24:28 They're not engaged in ministry.
24:29 They're not doing anything to help another person know God
24:32 better.
24:33 They're losing the blessing.
24:35 An hour or so east of Columbia, South Carolina,
24:39 is Bishopville, South Carolina.
24:41 That's where Pearl Fryar lives.
24:44 He began to work in his yard years ago;
24:47 decided that he wanted to win the garden-of-the-month award
24:49 from the local garden club.
24:51 Over time, his topiary garden has become a tourist attraction,
24:57 with about 500 shrubs and trees sculpted into an amazing array
25:01 of whimsical and even inspirational shapes and forms.
25:06 His garden has been praised by the Smithsonian.
25:08 Pearl isn't a gardener.
25:11 He's a now-retired engineer with a three-acre yard that he's
25:15 worked at patiently for years and years.
25:18 The truth is, most anyone could have done what he's done.
25:22 But not everyone has the patience to do what he's done.
25:24 Not everyone would dedicate the time to create something so,
25:28 so incredible.
25:30 What are you doing with the talents that God has given you?
25:32 Your skill, your time, your blessings?
25:35 When you're all in with God, God is using you and He's growing
25:38 you.
25:39 When you're not, you're missing out.
25:42 The world is missing out on what God could do through you.
25:45 God's not receiving your service.
25:47 He's not receiving your heart.
25:50 I wonder if you could make a decision with me today to serve
25:53 God wholeheartedly.
25:55 Now, I'll admit, decisions like that are,
25:57 well, I don't want you to make a promise to God.
26:01 Making promises to God just doesn't work.
26:05 But you could believe the promises that God has made to
26:10 you, where He's promised that He would work in your life.
26:14 What would your life be like if you made God first in your
26:16 business, if you made God first in your practice,
26:19 if you made it your business to be a representative of God
26:22 wherever you are?
26:23 I remember being in Owensboro, Kentucky.
26:25 This was about a quarter of a century ago.
26:27 There was a large furniture store,
26:29 on the front a big sign that said,
26:31 “Our business is sharing Jesus.
26:33 We just sell carpet to pay the bills.” God first.
26:37 The business was dedicated to Him.
26:40 Who are your talents dedicated to?
26:43 What if you dedicated them to God?
26:44 If you do, your life will never be the same again,
26:49 and God will be honored and glorified.
26:52 ♪[Music]♪
27:00 >>John: Finance is a big subject.
27:02 Everybody wants to have enough money.
27:05 How can you have God's blessing on your financial situation?
27:08 I'd like to give you today's free offer,
27:11 “More Than Enough.”
27:13 To receive “More Than Enough,”
27:14 simply call us, 800-253-3000.
27:18 You could write to the address on your screen,
27:20 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com.
27:24 That's 800-253-3000,
27:26 or iiwoffer.com.
27:30 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written
27:32 exists because of the kindness of people just like you.
27:35 To support this international life-changing ministry,
27:39 please call us now at 800-253-3000.
27:43 You can send your tax-deductible gift to the address on your
27:45 screen, or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
27:50 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support.
27:52 Our number again is 800-253-3000.
27:57 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com.
28:01 >>John: Whether you have five talents or two talents or one
28:04 talent, you can give it or give them to God,
28:08 and let God work through you in a way that would change your
28:10 life and change the lives of others,
28:12 to help you to be an even greater blessing
28:14 to those around you.
28:16 I want to pray with you now.
28:17 Let's pray together.
28:18 Our Father in heaven, we're thankful today that You care
28:21 enough about us to bless us and give us talents.
28:24 And then You want to make the most of those by encouraging us
28:28 to live for You, to live for others,
28:29 not just to live for ourselves.
28:32 Friend, what can you do for God to give your talents to Him?
28:36 Even if you're not sure perhaps, perhaps you would say with me
28:40 now and pray with me now, “Lord, take what I am,
28:43 take what I have, take my talents,
28:45 my abilities, take my life, take my time,
28:48 take my Christian witness, take my health,
28:51 take my influence, and use it for Your glory.” Lord,
28:56 as you do, You'll grow us.
28:57 You'll develop us.
28:58 We'll be blessed.
29:00 And we thank You, Lord, that through us Your plan is to reach
29:04 others for Your kingdom.
29:06 So take us and use us and bless others,
29:10 and be honored, we pray, and we thank You,
29:12 in Jesus' name.
29:14 Amen.
29:17 Thanks so much for joining me today.
29:18 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
29:20 Until then, remember:
29:22 “It is written:
29:23 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
29:25 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
29:30 ♪[Theme music]♪

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Revised 2018-02-08